Lawmakers and UFO researchers say a long-rumored audio recording from an “Invasion of Washington” briefing may finally be made public — and they believe listeners could hear it in the near future.
Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) told attendees at Disclosure Forum 2026, a gathering focused on government transparency around UFOs, that a tape capturing a 1952 discussion between Air Force officials and scientists about unidentified flying objects is expected to be released soon.
The recording is said to currently be held by MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory, but Burlison told the audience that his efforts have helped ensure the material will ultimately be disclosed to the public.
Advocates pushing for greater UFO transparency praised Burlison for acknowledging the tape’s existence, describing him as a persistent supporter of efforts to force more openness from the federal government on unidentified aerial phenomena.
“He’s stopped asking politely. He knows where certain files are. He’s demanding answers,” Disclosure Foundation Executive Director Jordan Flowers told News Nation.
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Flowers told News Nation he believes the audio contains a long-discussed, but never publicly heard, conversation tied to the wave of UFO sightings that rattled Washington, DC, during the summer of 1952.
That July, numerous unidentified objects were reported in the skies around the capital, with witnesses including pilots — fueling intense public curiosity and speculation about what was moving above Washington.
At the time, theories ranged from secret Soviet technology developed during the Cold War to extraterrestrial visitors piloting flying saucers.
But the Air Force eventually shot down the conjecture, saying at a press conference at the end of the month that the weather was to blame for the sightings.
But UFO transparency advocates say that the tapes’ release is a big one for those who want the government to be more transparent with its citizens about what’s really out there.
“The gloves are coming off, in terms of pushing for transparency, and knowing where these things are and pulling them out of the right structures,” Flowers said.
