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The latest FBI records obtained on Gen. Albert C. Wedemeyer were compiled during a 1970 special inquiry conducted for then-President Richard Nixon. View the FBI records received in December and the master folder of all material obtained to date on Gen. Wedemeyer. The Bureau was composing reports to be submitted to Gertrude Brown Fry, White House Staff Assistant for Security, appointed to supervise the collection and storage of records in a Special Files unit . We now know the FBI inquiry was done to clear Wedemeyer for appointment to the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, a group on which he would be joining Gordon Gray, who served on the board from 1961-1977 . EFR previously explored fascinating aspects of Gordon Gray and his far-reaching network . Gen. Wedemeyer, awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985 The FBI records obtained in December on Wedemeyer further establish his role as Army Director of Plans and Operations from 1947-48, extensive service during World War II, and expertise in the Eastern war theater. The latest records also establish Wedemeyer as a longtime associate and friend of President Nixon. The late general was a career intelligence officer at the highest levels of U.S. operations, including serving on the War Planning Board, which is credited with designing D-Day. He was also characterized by the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena during the 1950s as evaluating UFO reports for the organization. The group would later report the relationship was discontinued for reasons it described as releasing Wedemeyer's name by mistake. “Gen. Wedemeyer said he had never intended for the former management to make his name public,” NICAP reported in a 1957 publication : It could be considered intriguing that while the FBI documented virtually every aspect of the professional and social life of men like Albert Wedemeyer, it opted not to advise the president of his association with NICAP, at least not in material currently declassified and/or yet obtained. This might be because the general's involvement in the UFO fray was part of his professional responsibilities, not to be filed with such activities as serving as a trustee of a little league baseball foundation, which was indeed listed and included an interview conducted by the Bureau with the group's secretary. Moreover, the FBI compiled information for the FBI New Orleans Field Office in 1961 after a clerk inquired whether there would be any objection to becoming active in NICAP. The resulting memo from Dir. Hoover expressed disagreement with NICAP activities, specifically, its attack on the Air Force. It also criticized the writing of Maj. Donald Keyhoe, the face of the organization. “[Keyhoe] has been a freelance writer for national magazines," Hoover wrote, "and a flamboyant style has characterized his articles. In the past, when he has written concerning topics of direct interest to the Bureau, we have found much of his material to be irresponsible. “A number of former United States military officers have been affiliated with the NICAP and Keyhoe has openly attempted to capitalize upon their names and military titles. The Bureau has been most cautious in handling correspondence from the NICAP to avoid any inference that we hold views, either favorable or unfavorable, to this organization. “As the above information regarding Donald Keyhoe and the NICAP reflects, the NICAP is not the type of organization with which the Bureau's name should become connected – either through membership of FBI employees in the NICAP or by any other means.” (FBI Records: The Vault - National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP), Part 2 , pp12-13 ) FBI Dir. Hoover clearly viewed association with NICAP as inadvisable. More directly stated, he did not allow it. Yet, reports and records obtained to date on intelligence officers who were NICAP personnel not only fail to reflect this Bureau policy, but often include positive assessments leading to the officers being granted continuing clearance to work in sensitive positions. The UFO subculture largely prefers to remain oblivious to these circumstances and implications. It's as if it would have us believe men involved in the most classified aspects of national security and personal associates of presidents would simply moonlight as UFO investigators out of recreational interest, and as if it would be overlooked and omitted from future mention. In the batch of records received in December, we see a number of circumstances we have come to identify as typical in the records obtained on Cold War era assets such as Gordon Gray. Wedemeyer was active in leadership capacities with financial funds and foundations, for instance, including a group in New York that sponsored academic work. That was also the case with Gray. In Gray's circumstance, he was associated with the Committee for Economic Development at 444 Madison Ave, NY, NY. Wedemeyer was with the American Economic Foundation at 51 East 42nd St. He was also involved with the Townsend Fund out of New York as well as serving as a director of the Financial Industrial Fund of Denver. The American Economic Foundation was started by Fred Clark in 1940. He widely promoted conservative politics and later moved the foundation from its Cleveland beginnings to New York. Other notable associates of Wedemeyer, as documented by the FBI, include Dr. Alton Ochsner Sr. and Dr. George S. Johnson. Ochsner was a surgeon at Tulane University who went on to open a network of clinics credited with first establishing the link between cigarettes and cancer. He is tragically known for injecting his grandchildren with an improperly manufactured and tainted batch of polio vaccine, which killed his grandson and infected his granddaughter with polio. Johnson was a retired psychiatrist in San Francisco. He and Wedemeyer spent time together at Bohemian Grove, described in the Bureau communication as “an exclusive San Francisco men's club.” The Wedemeyer records contain a number of opportunities for continuing research. This includes reference on page 24 to files of the Naval Investigative Service and USAF Office of Special Investigations, as shown below (For those interested, the term “BUDED” means Bureau deadline, and “BUTEL” is a Bureau teletype, or message): EFR submitted FOIA requests to Naval Investigative Service and OSI for the referenced files. The effort to obtain records on Gen. Wedemeyer began with a 2021 request submitted to the FBI. The Bureau subsequently provided records and advised of several file numbers potentially responsive to the request and in the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration. A series of requests and negotiations ensued with NARA in which files were systematically obtained or, in some instances, identified as lost or destroyed. Requests were strategically submitted on specific file numbers and/or parts of those files to best minimize wait time and expense. The records obtained in December represent the first 48 pages of FBI file 161-HQ-7440, subject Albert Coady Wedemeyer, created between 1970 and 1979 as a special inquiry for the White House and consisting of an estimated 250 pages. It was the final file not yet obtained. Given the material discovered to be in the file and as described above, EFR requested the remainder of the material.

Erica Lukes, executive director of Expanding Frontiers Research and host of its YouTube show, kicks off the new year by welcoming this writer for a brand-new episode. The show airs live Friday, Jan. 3, at 7pm EST. Discussion topics will include EFR's latest research and resulting FOIA responses, as well as directions for 2025 and the organization's community of supporters. Join us live as we begin EFR's third fiscal year.

Video: Executive Director Erica Lukes takes a look back at 2024 It was a jam-packed year of entertaining videos and informative blogposts at Expanding Frontiers Research. Check out the video above, "EFR 2024 Year in Review," featuring Executive Director Erica Lukes considering just a sample of the many people, issues, and topics explored by EFR during 2024. From sociologists, journalists and filmmakers to paranormalists and museum curators of the macabre, Erica interviewed them on the EFR YouTube channel . The dozens of shows included a thought-provocative discussion with anthropologist Dr. Jeb Card , a trip down the rabbit hole with cult expert Rick Alan Ross , and consideration of the drone reports with writer and video analyst Mick West . Meanwhile, here at the EFR blog, we continued publishing results of records requests filed on a regular basis, as well as expanding our instructional material on the topic. EFR delved deeply into activities and events in Utah through the Government Records Access and Management Act. We also continued our use of the Freedom of Information Act as a research tool to clarify otherwise often murky circumstances. To learn more about using the FOIA, check out our free Patreon collection of videos and blogposts. You'll find content including how to submit a request, a template to use, and how to negotiate responses from agencies such as the FBI and National Archives. The public content is freely offered as a service to enhance research through use of the FOIA. Paid subscribers additionally access records as we receive them, video calls, and more. We hope you find our work beneficial and valuable. We encourage you to join our community of financial supporters at the EFR Patreon page and ask that you keep EFR in mind as you plan your year-end giving. You may also make a one-time donation through the secure link on the homepage . Thank you for your continuing interest and support. Happy holidays and best of new years.

DCI Phantom quadcopter UAV for commercial and recreational photography In a Dec. 9 episode of Expanding Frontiers , host Erica Lukes and guest Mick West explored what can be discerned about the New Jersey drone reports. While a number of factors worthy of consideration contribute to the circumstances, one of the more important points to arise was the ways the public may take more ownership of the situation and be less dependent on authority figures and often poorly vetted sources to inform its views. Expanding Frontiers Research is proud of the leadership exhibited by Erica Lukes in examining the situation with objectivity and authenticity. What resulted was a meaningful conversation on collecting evidence, what gives it value, and, as Dr. Tyler Kokjohn observed , opportunities for interested parties to do their own research and leave behind a previous reliance on search engines and dubious actors to tell them what is and is not populating the sky. Lukes facilitated West explaining the process of most effectively recording and documenting a potential drone sighting. This may of course also apply to UFOs, UAP, or many other phenomena of interest. When the witness records even ambiguous video of a target, proper documentation of the circumstances may help identify the object in many instances. Perhaps equally importantly, it may include being unable to identify the object through traditional means such as flight patterns and use of websites that offer related information that may be used as tools. That process of elimination may assist in identifying any reports of interest that rise out of the pack of misidentifications and low information. This facilitates taking a proactive investigative role and shedding a passive dependency on statements from public officials, dubious UFO researchers, and social media influencers who often hold a wide range of agendas and poorly formed conclusions that influence our perceptions. When considering posting a drone or UAP video or report, first of all, make a conscious decision whether it is wise for you to publish your video and information on the internet. Give some thought to what you would do with your evidence before you ever go drone or UFO hunting. If you happen by your evidence in a random chain of events, like grabbing a clip while loading groceries in the car, it is still advisable to consider whether or not you go public with it. Are you recording from your apartment building or is it a public place, like a parking lot or intersection? Will you be willing to publish your name, or would you prefer to provide your evidence to an investigator in confidence? These are issues to consider. Also recommended are instructional videos produced by Aerial Phenomena Investigations (API). They have you covered for issues ranging from tips for shooting the most effective phone-video on the fly to how to pack a field investigator kit and conduct research on the regular. API also clarifies policy on protecting witness information and related privacy issues about submitting reports. Once you have your video, whether happenstance or the result of an intentional hunt for evidence, there is information you need to document. This includes the location, time, date, and direction. Documenting this information will give you and investigators the highest chance of successfully identifying the object(s) recorded or concluding that it does not match conventional go-to explanations. As Mick and Erica recently discussed (timestamped at 18:40): Once recorded, you may then investigate your video by correlating the important information with what can be gleaned from various websites that provide, for instance, flight traffic and positions of celestial bodies based on time and location. You may of course also submit your video with the documented information to Mick's website, Metabunk , or API as referenced above. Lastly, let us here at EFR know what you learn. We're all about the process and facilitating its improvement. It is not necessary to wait for others to tell you what is and is not flying around. Go get some footage and learn the most effective way to investigate what it reveals.

Salt Lake City journalist, filmmaker, and entrepreneur Richard Markosian joins host Erica Lukes for what is certain to be a wide-ranging and thought-provocative discussion. Catch the show Friday, Dec. 13, 6pm EST live on YouTube or view it later in its entirety. Please like and subscribe to the EFR channel while you're in the YouTube neighborhood. Richard Markosian Richard, who has described himself as a storyteller, took his passion for the richness of the experiences of local farmers and craftspeople and created Utah Stories Magazine. As the name implies, he and his colleagues at Markosian Media explored both the issues and people who shape and influence Utah. Richard's work has included short films on urban planning and development, as well as issues surrounding gentrification, in such documentaries as "The Death of Main Street Salt Lake City." Richard and his wife Golda launched the Made in Utah Festival in 2014, further demonstrating commitment to local trade and commerce. In 2019, Richard started the Utah Stories Show, an entertaining and informative podcast, that continued to bring the lives of Utahns to a public which empathized with and understood their stories. Erica's discussion with this documentarian of the richness of the experiences of life is certain to be both informative and entertaining. Thank you to Richard Markosian for being a guest on Expanding Frontiers and thank you to our readers and viewers for your ongoing interest and support.

Erica Lukes takes on the New Jersey drone reports in a special edition of Expanding Frontiers. She and guest Mick West explore the circumstances surrounding what have become citizens and law enforcement officers alike reporting drone activity on a seemingly nightly basis. What can actually be determined from the reports? To explore the possibilities, join Erica and Mick live Monday, Dec. 9, 7pm EST . Mick West Guest Mick West is an American science writer, skeptical investigator, and retired video game programmer. He is the creator of the websites Contrail Science and Metabunk, and he investigates and debunks pseudoscientific claims and conspiracy theories. He is the author of Escaping the Rabbit Hole: How to Debunk Conspiracy Theories Using Facts, Logic, and Respect . West has appeared in various media including CBS, CNN and Scientific American as an expert conspiracy analyst and science communicator.

FBI records responsive to the late Frank Boyer Salisbury (1926-2015), a writer widely recognized as helping popularize paranormal and UFO legends of the Uintah Basin in Utah, indicate he was investigated for potential obstruction of justice charges. The records, recently obtained from the National Archives and Records Administration and compiled by the FBI from December 1966 to June 1967, document investigations of physical assault and intimidation as apparent attempts to stop fraud-related lawsuits from moving forward. During the course of investigation, FBI agents were told about questionable stock acquisitions, illegal profiting, possible unauthorized removal of heavy equipment from the Queen of Sheba Mine in Death Valley, and other controversial actions linked to Salisbury. Multiple witnesses interviewed by the FBI described Salisbury as a self-centered man prone to outbursts of anger, whose actions and statements were often erratic and without reason. One individual, the FBI documented, “said he personally believes that Salisbury is 'crazy' as he does things which are completely illogical.” “He said Salisbury has many lawsuits against him,” the FBI Special Agent wrote further, “but he almost ignores these matters and does what he wants to do regardless of the consequence of harm it may cause others.”: Salt Lake City officials ultimately chose not to pursue obstruction of justice charges because two key witnesses were military personnel who were transferred repeatedly and not fully accessible. The absence of those specific witnesses made a conviction impossible, as one prosecutor put it. Frank B. Salisbury earned degrees from the University of Utah and a doctorate in plant physiology from the California Institute of Technology. He served as the head of the Department of Plant Science at Utah State University from 1966-1970 and retired from the university in 1991. Salisbury was an avid writer, authoring some 24 books and countless articles and papers on UFOs, religious faith, and related topics. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salisbury was a major influence in shaping and increasing public belief in alleged paranormal phenomena in the Uintah Basin. He authored the book, “The Utah UFO Display,” of which the late Junior Hicks was a principal contributor and source. Each of the men gave numerous interviews and presentations on UFOs and Skinwalker Ranch. Records recently received from NARA are 54 pages of FBI file number 72-HQ-1763, the contents of which are obstruction of justice and perjury investigations involving Gary Stewart Buckley and James David Woodward. They were implicated in the attempted assaults and intimidation of A. Reed Reynolds and Parker Martin Nielson. Both the victims were Salt Lake City attorneys in the process of representing action against Salisbury as indicated in the following 1966 newspaper clipping: During the course of the investigation, it was further discovered that unusual activity – if not an outright scam – had taken place with stock investments. This involved Salisbury and an associate, as well. More about circumstances pertaining to complaints brought against Salisbury by such sources as Reliance National Life Insurance Company concerning “secret and unlawful profits” may be found in a corresponding 1967 Utah Supreme Court brief . Meanwhile, Salisbury ran into disputes with a business partner at the Queen of Sheba Mine during the 1960s. FBI agents tracked some of this down because select witnesses indicated the same men were involved as were being investigated in the stock fraud case for potential obstruction of justice and perjury charges. Numerous people were interviewed by the Bureau, including witnesses to select activities and circumstances in Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Death Valley, the location of the Queen of Sheba Mine. Salisbury was consistently described in unflattering terms, including a description of him threatening to kill someone in one instance. He was also described as a “phony bigshot” by a woman who claimed to see him intentionally dump cereal in a cafe floor: Others the FBI attempted to interview, including Salisbury, were much less cooperative. He denied relationships with some of the accused, but also declined to provide the names of the men he was with when witnesses placed him in the company of what FBI increasingly suspected were fellow conspirators. Expanding Frontiers Research initially requested records on Frank Boyer Salisbury from the FBI in June 2024. The Bureau advised EFR of the existence of responsive records in the custody of NARA. Those records were parts of file 72-HQ-1763 and file 116-HQ-241417. A request submitted to NARA revealed the first records, recently obtained and shared in this post, consisted of about 54 pages and were part of an obstruction of justice investigation. The second file, subject Frank Boyer Salisbury, was compiled as part of a Department of Energy applicant investigation, created between 1951-1973, and consists of an estimated 40 pages. EFR reduced the scope of the initial request to the obstruction of justice records in order to receive the 54 pages much more quickly than if the files, totaling nearly 100 pages, were requested simultaneously. EFR has now requested the second file, the applicant investigation, and will publish it when received.

Law enforcement considered the possibility J.Z. Knight, who purportedly channels Ramtha, requested the 1992 murder of a Washington man, according to a cold case update written in 2014 by a detective of the Thurston County Sheriff's Office. The document was recently obtained by Expanding Frontiers Research as part of a now-year-long ongoing release of records responsive to Ramtha's School of Enlightenment . Joe Sumrall was beaten and strangled to death in 1992 at his trailer in Thurston County, Washington. The still-unsolved crime was undeniably enmeshed with Knight and her Ramtha group. Sumrall was a follower of Knight, who leads the Ramtha school, described in police records as a cult-like organization that espouses a philosophy of spiritual channeling. Police determined Sumrall was bound and forced to tell one or more perpetrators where approximately $20,000 in Canadian one-ounce maple leaf coins were hidden. The scene of the Joe Sumrall murder Sumrall's wife discovered his lifeless body in their trailer about 11pm the night of April 3, 1992. She had just returned from the Ramtha property. Their two-year-old son was sitting outside in their truck, strapped in a child restraint seat and unharmed, according to a 1993 case synopsis . Officers suspected Sumrall interrupted a burglary or that the child was placed in the car seat rather than left alone unattended. After years of the crime remaining unsolved, police got a new lead in 2013. That's when news surfaced that a former Ramtha student, Virginia Coverdale, made a social media post about a potential suspect. The circumstances implicated Knight and the case was again actively under investigation. Coverdale, however, refused to disclose the name of the individual and other details to Knight's attorneys. More doubt was cast upon the Ramtha camp when Coverdale leveled concerning accusations of abuse taking place inside the 80-acre Ramtha compound. The Thurston County Sheriff's Office reportedly informed the media in 2013 that, while Knight's name certainly came up during investigation of the Sumrall murder case, she was not a person of interest. A February 2014 cold case update suggested otherwise. “I received a tip that Sumrall was murdered at the request of JZ Knight,” a detective wrote. “I was given the name of a former RSE member that reportedly killed Sumrall.” The possible suspect reportedly fled the United States after the crime but may have returned. They apparently used multiple social security numbers to remain difficult to track. From the cold case update: Ramtha School of Enlightenment was emailed and offered an opportunity for Ms. Knight or a spokesperson to comment for potential inclusion in this article. It did not immediately respond. In the 1993 case synopsis cited above, challenges to law enforcement created by the Ramtha school were addressed. Knight “caters to individuals with too much money and not enough brains,” a detective wrote. “The followers are generally well-educated and affluent. This has created the problem for us of handling well-to-do folks living in close proximity to those who are not.”: Records previously obtained from the Thurston County Sheriff's Office document many more crime reports responsive to Ramtha and Knight's followers. These involve murders, burglaries and a variety of violent crimes observable through hundreds of law enforcement reports, memos, digital images, digital audio recordings, and similar files. Several cases involve followers returning from Ramtha activities to discover their dwellings had become crime scenes. Multiple emails were sent over the previous year in an effort to provide personnel from Ramtha's School of Enlightenment opportunities to comment. No responses were received.

Tune in for a special Black Friday edition of Expanding Frontiers with Erica Lukes when the talented and popular John E.L. Tenney joins her and this writer on Friday, Nov. 29, at 7pm EST. The discussion airs live on YouTube . Actively involved in paranormal, anomalistic and conspiratorial research for decades, John E.L. Tenney has been published in magazines and newspapers world-wide. His books and columns cover material from ufology to hauntings and cryptozoology to conspiracy theories. He has been interviewed extensively on the topics, and his signature "Weird Lectures" series is estimated to have been attended by over 100,000 people at conferences and gatherings. Tenney has consulted and appeared in productions from NBC to The New York Times and many outlets in between. He is a talented artist and musician, and his "Realm of the Weird" was formerly selected Best Podcast in Michigan by Real Detroit Weekly. Lately, he may be found co-hosting events and chatting with Jessica Knapik on the popular "What's Up Weirdo?" podcast. Scroll to the bottom of this webpage and subscribe for updates to receive email alerts for blogposts like this one. You'll be informed about every EFR blogpost right in your inbox. Also, and if you have not done so already, please consider joining our Patreon supporters . Your financial support helps with video production, website maintenance, fees associated with our FOIA work, and similar general operating expenses. Expanding Frontiers Research is a Salt Lake City-based nonprofit organization, tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.

Two FBI files responsive to Sen. Barry Goldwater were received this week from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The files were provided in response to an ongoing Freedom of Information Act request first submitted to the FBI by Expanding Frontiers Research in 2022. Recently received was file number 56-HQ-3591, concerning a Ukrainian named Dmytro Zawolskyj and his distribution of at least seemingly pro-Goldwater campaign material. The file was compiled as part of an FBI Election Laws investigation in 1964 when Goldwater was the Republican nominee for president. The FBI investigation was launched when the Republican State Committee of Arizona filed a complaint to the Bureau. The complaint objected to the distribution of a circular in Phoenix that cast Goldwater into racial dispute. The racist and offensive circular, as depicted in the file obtained this week by EFR: Subsequent FBI investigation revealed the circular was distributed by Dmytro Zawolskyj, identified as a Polish Ukrainian who spoke very little English. Zawolskyj claimed to be unaware he was doing anything wrong, although his actions did not necessarily support that claim. For instance, the owners of the print shop - where the Ukrainian had copies of the circular printed – told the FBI the man had multiple print jobs and would always refuse to sign for the orders. Zawolskyj told the Bureau he distributed some 975 copies of the 1,000 circulars he paid to have printed. FBI records indicate he would manually place the flyers in mailboxes in Phoenix neighborhoods and on the windshields of cars at the Arizona State Capitol building. He ultimately signed a statement for the FBI, denying any malicious intent and qualifying he would cease distribution of the circular. He also wrote a letter of apology to the Arizona Republican State Committee. The second of the two files, number 56-HQ-4636, was also compiled as part of an Election Laws investigation and created from 1972-1987. It pertains to a complaint filed by Congressional candidate Mark Novak about the financial activities of the rival Goldwater campaign. Novak complained that a group titled Goldwater Associates required financial contributions for entry. Members would then receive preferential treatment and increased access to Goldwater. This created campaign violations, Novak argued, including not registering the group properly. To the credit of the Bureau, it followed up and even went as far as interviewing Goldwater and a key staffer about the allegations. Goldwater suggested, in effect, there was a bit of salesmanship taking place in revenue creation, and that members of Goldwater Associates received little to nothing more than the general public. Apparently, the culture of the day saw this as less problematic than actually giving donors increased access in exchange for their financial support. Moreover, Goldwater asserted, that whether right or wrong, every political candidate was doing similar. The general may have had a point on that one. The FBI initially provided EFR over 400 pages of previously released records in response to the 2022 FOIA request. The Bureau advised additional records were withheld. EFR subsequently appealed the withholding, resulting in the release of 23 pages in April 2023. The additional 23 pages included FBI investigation of a 1962 alleged plot to kill Goldwater, later identified as a hoax. The records obtained through appeal also included investigation of a former 1950s State Department Security Officer and CIA applicant, Edward Ellis Smith, whose career was compromised due to his relationship with a Russian woman. He went on to campaign for Goldwater as the presidential nominee in 1964. FBI informed EFR of the existence of more records in the custody of NARA in response to the 2022 FOIA request. EFR requested the additional records from NARA in August 2022 and received them this week after applicable fees were paid for pdf reproductions. The late Barry Goldwater was an Air Force major general and five-time Arizona Senator (1953-1965, 1969-1987). He lost his White House bid to Democrat incumbent President Lyndon Johnson in the 1964 election. Goldwater was among the high-profile supporters of the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) and joined its Board of Governors in the 1970s. “I and my colleagues on the Board of NICAP think it is high time more independent research on UFO's [ sic ] was undertaken,” the Senator wrote in a published letter of support ( see pp4-8 ). Among the things that actually happened, however, was in 1978, Nazi propaganda began arriving in the mailboxes of NICAP members when then-president of the UFO org, Jack Acuff, sold NICAP mailing lists twice to anti-Semite Ernst Zundel. FBI records responsive to Zundel and his Nazi publishing house, Samisdat, were obtained by EFR and revealed the FBI identified him as persuasive and extremely dangerous. “If this man should contact gullible people who's values are completely twisted, he could become a real threat,” an FBI report warned. The trail of the errant NICAP mailing lists led to “Christoff Freidrich,” a now-known alias of Ernst Zundel, who acknowledged ownership of Samisdat. Some defended Acuff's actions or at least argued he did not know “Freidrich's” intent to use the mailing lists as Samisdat tools for distributing Nazi propaganda. Others were much less convinced, apparently including “Freidrich” himself. “Freidrich told [NICAP representative] Dr. McIntyre that he had bought the NICAP mailing lists from Acuff two times with Acuff's knowledge where they were going,” at least one publication reported ( see pp1-2 ). Goldwater went on to chair the Senate Intelligence Committee from 1981-1985. Staffer Charles Lombard, heavily implicated as a CIA asset, joined Goldwater on the NICAP Board of Governors, as covered in this writer's book, Wayward Sons: NICAP and the IC . Lombard helped facilitate the acquisition of NICAP and its files into the Center for UFO Studies, assisting in negotiations that took place from approximately 1978 to 1982.

Career intelligence officer Gen. Albert C. Wedemeyer was targeted by a Communist campaign that was carried into “every part of the United States,” Louis F. Budenz told the Senate Internal Security Committee in 1951. The initiative was conducted by Russian assets as well as the organizations they infiltrated, Budenz testified, according to FBI records obtained from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The Senate Internal Security Committee was headed by Sen. Pat McCarran and also known as the McCarran Committee. It was formed to investigate the enforcement of the Internal Security Act of 1950, along with the investigation of espionage and related subversive activities taking place in the United States. Louis Budenz, an author, converted Communist, and controversial FBI paid informant, told Committee Counsel Robert Morris the Soviet campaign extended to officials in the State Department. Asked to identify the officials, Budenz replied, “Joseph B. Crew, Under Secretary of State; Lt. Gen. Albert Wedemeyer, not technically with the State Department but connected at least diplomatically with the State Department relations; Eugene C. Dooman, who was head of the Far Eastern Division, if I remember correctly, at least he was in control of the details of the far eastern policy; and Gen. Patrick Hurley, Ambassador to China, who was particularly under attack from the Communists."  As previously explored , the late Gen. Wedemeyer (1896-1989) was an influential World War II Army officer. He served extensively in the Far East, was a member of the War Planning Board that designed D-Day, and acted as an advisor for the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP). Records initially received from the FBI indicate Wedemeyer was treated cordially by the Bureau and conducted correspondence with Dir. Hoover, informing him of potential Communist threats. Wedemeyer resigned from NICAP after his name was published as an associate of the group. He never intended for his name to be made public, and NICAP regretted the general's name was released, NICAP reported in 1957 ( see p20 ). Additional records obtained by Expanding Frontiers Research include Wedemeyer's 1958 consultation with the Committee on Un-American Activities of the U.S. House of Representatives. The general advised the Committee: The term “strategy” disturbs many people, just as the word “propaganda” does. I define “strategy” as the art and science of using all of a nation's available resources to accomplish national objectives. There are four major categories of resources: political, economic, psychological, and military. If the first three of these resources – that is, political, economic, and psychological – are employed intelligently and boldly in consonance with a well-thought-out plan, it may never be necessary to use actively our military force. Obviously that is exactly what we should do at all times... Other records received to date include files containing: A 1945 FBI memo that includes Chinese News Service bulletins from the week of Nov. 5, 1945. A Nov. 8 bulletin describes Wedemeyer's activities in China, which reportedly included disarming and deporting some four million Japanese out of China. A 1959 FBI memo , Subject: Ted Powers, Security Matter. The memo documents how Wedemeyer advised the Bureau of his suspicion Powers was a member of the Communist Party while the man was hiring and supervising employees sent to Cape Canaveral Missile Base. A 1960 FBI memo on Allen A. Zoll and the Federation of Conservatives, which includes the name of an informant redacted from the memo. The material contains literature apparently printed by the Federation of Conservatives, which lists Wedemeyer as a board member. The literature qualifies a purpose of the group is opposing the "leftist campaign against the United States," and states that leftists want to destroy the Constitution, install a world government completely controlled by aliens, or foreigners (reminiscent of fascist propaganda opposing immigrants), confiscate "our gold," and similar rhetoric. Wedemeyer 1962 correspondence with FBI Dir. J. Edgar Hoover about Alexandra Tolstoy, President of the Tolstoy Foundation, and her concerns about Soviet activity. Wedemeyer 1955 correspondence with Dir. Hoover about the alleged Communist sympathies held by Harold R. Isaacs of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The latest records were obtained from NARA as part of an ongoing response to a 2021 FOIA request submitted to the FBI for material on Wedemeyer. The Bureau responded in July 2024, releasing 61 of 101 responsive pages, while also advising of several more files in the custody of NARA. EFR reported on the initial records received from FBI and submitted a FOIA request to NARA for the additional files. In subsequent correspondence, NARA advised EFR of the subject and number of pages of each requested file. Reproductions, which include pdfs, are typically available at a cost of 80 cents per page. The records totaled hundreds of pages and the request was assigned to a track for processing with an estimated time of completion of 39 months or more. EFR systematically reduced the scope of the request to smaller increments in order to keep requests in a shorter-term processing track. With each completed request, EFR requested another batch of records. There is now just one file of interest remaining from the initial request, a 250-page file of which Wedemeyer is the subject. According to an email received from NARA, it was compiled as part of a Special Inquiries for the White House, Congressional Committees, and Other Government Agencies investigation, created between 1970 and 1979. EFR has requested the first 50 pages and anticipates requesting the remaining 200 after they are received. View the master folder , containing all FBI records received to date on Gen. Albert C. Wedemeyer.

Already suffering from a backlog of cases waiting to be heard, the Utah State Records Committee monthly meetings have ground to a halt . That's because seats remaining vacant since the end of September prohibit the State Records Committee (SRC) from legally conducting business. Accusations are growing the Republican-led Utah Senate is failing to approve nominations to fill the openings in retaliation for previous SRC rulings in support of open records laws and government transparency. Those rulings include the release of the calendars of AG Sean Reyes, embroiled in controversy and questionable activity surrounding Tim Ballard, among other issues. Reyes adds to a trend of Utah Attorney Generals leaving office amid declining public trust and respect. Utah open records legislation is known as the GRAMA, the Government Records Access and Management Act. It's Utah's version of the Freedom of Information Act. An individual files a GRAMA request with an agency. If they choose to appeal the agency's response or lack thereof, they file an appeal with a Chief Administrative Officer, which is often a member of the legal staff of the agency or government office from which records are being sought. If the requester is not satisfied with the handling of the appeal, they submit another appeal to the State Records Committee. The SRC coordinates mediation meetings, schedules a live hearing if the two parties do not reach a resolution, and is the last stop of the GRAMA appeals process before court litigation. Under the best of circumstances, the process takes months and is obviously hindered by crippling the SRC through failing to fill its seats. Utah agencies have little incentive to even respond to GRAMA requests, much less grant appeals or negotiate their resolution, if the SRC is effectively ceased from functioning. Meanwhile, the backlog of appeals grows, and Expanding Frontiers Research (EFR) is among those with a case in line for review. In EFR's specific instance, the appeal also involves actions surrounding AG Reyes. Previous time invested in the GRAMA appeals process proved productive for EFR . This included an appeal of a case with Uintah County which was granted by the SRC, an appeal granted by the Utah Attorney General's Office, and a case in which an appeal was submitted to the SRC concerning the Uintah County Sheriff's Office but the records were subsequently provided during mediation, so the case was resolved without a hearing. EFR currently has a GRAMA appeal pending with the SRC as a result of a denied appeal issued by Utah County. The GRAMA request sought threatening letters reportedly mailed to Brandon Fugal, a Utah businessman, former member of the Utah Blockchain Advisory Committee, and reported owner of controversial Skinwalker Ranch. The request was part of a series of inquiries exploring circumstances that arose in 2022 when a cryptocurrency ransom was reportedly demanded of Fugal. EFR discovered through GRAMA requests that the 2022 demands were the second time Fugal directly contacted AG Reyes about apparent threats. Reyes alerted investigators, who advised local law enforcement agencies. The Attorney General's Office previously expressed the position the AG's affiliation with Fugal and The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch television show was in an exclusively personal, unofficial capacity, as Reyes has been a guest on the program and made public appearances in support of the dubious associated narratives. The discovery of the law enforcement investigations contradicted that position. While EFR obtained email chains, a sheriff's office report, and similar documentation of the interactions and circumstances, the saga has not yet been more thoroughly reported pending completion of the appeals process and related due diligence. The wrench thrown in the gears of the State Records Committee, which some argue was tossed by Republican lawmakers, further prolongs the reporting of stories of public interest. The still-pending EFR appeal was filed to the SRC in August 2024.