The battle over UFO disclosure in the United States has taken another dramatic turn, with lawmakers now shifting their focus from the Pentagon to private defence contractors and research institutions believed to hold classified information on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs).

At the centre of the latest controversy is Representative Eric Burlison, who recently revealed that he sent a formal congressional letter to MIT Lincoln Laboratory requesting access to a classified 1952 ‘flying saucer talk’ briefing video. According to Burlison, attorneys representing the institution responded quickly and indicated they would comply within 30 days.

The move comes amid growing claims from whistleblowers and members of Congress that some of the government’s most sensitive UFO-related information may have been intentionally routed through private organisations to avoid congressional oversight.

‘If you really want to hide something from Congress, you don’t put it in a government file cabinet. You hand it to a private contractor’, Burlison wrote online.

I sent a letter to MIT Lincoln Labs asking for a classified 1952 briefing video referenced as a “flying saucer talk.” Their attorneys wrote back fast. They’ll comply within 30 days.

Congressional letters carry weight. We’re going to keep sending them.

— Eric Burlison (@EricBurlison) May 15, 2026

The investigation gained even more attention after explosive remarks surfaced after Burlison claimed in a recent interview that the White House personally contacted him following the release of Pentagon UFO files.

He said officials asked him to publicly support the release of the videos, despite limited engagement with congressional investigators beforehand.

Read More: UFO Disclosure Takes Strange Turn as White House Reportedly Seeks Outside Guidance