Reid served as a US Senator from 1987 to 2017, rising to Senate Majority Leader, and served on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
“serving first as a Congressman in the Lower House from 1983 and then as a Senator from 1987 to 2017. Over his 30 years of Senate service, he rose to become one of the most influential senators in the Democratic Party, reaching Senate Majority Leader. He also served for two years on one of the Senate's most powerful committees, the Select Committee on Intelligence.”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2
Chapter 12, paragraph 2
Reid stated his interest in UFOs came from Robert Bigelow.
“Mr. Reid said his interest in U.F.O.s came from Mr. Bigelow.”
Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program (2017)
paragraph 22
In 2007, Bigelow told Reid that a DIA official had approached Bigelow wanting to visit his Utah ranch.
“In 2007, Mr. Reid said in the interview, Mr. Bigelow told him that an official with the Defense Intelligence Agency had approached him wanting to visit Mr. Bigelow's ranch in Utah, where he conducted research.”
Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program (2017)
paragraph 22
Reid met with DIA officials shortly after meeting Bigelow and learned they wanted to start a UFO research programme.
“Mr. Reid said he met with agency officials shortly after his meeting with Mr. Bigelow and learned that they wanted to start a research program on U.F.O.s.”
Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program (2017)
paragraph 23
Reid approached Daniel Inouye and Ted Stevens to secure US$22 million in funding for a UAP study.
“The Senator approached his colleagues, Democrat Senator Daniel Inouye and Republican Senator Ted Stevens, to get $22 million funding for a study into the UAP mystery.”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2
Chapter 12, paragraph 4
Reid summoned Stevens and Inouye to a secure room in the Capitol to discuss the proposed programme.
“Mr. Reid then summoned Mr. Stevens and Mr. Inouye to a secure room in the Capitol.”
Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program (2017)
paragraph 23
Reid described the Capitol meeting as 'one of the easiest meetings I ever had.'
“The meeting with Mr. Stevens and Mr. Inouye, Mr. Reid said, 'was one of the easiest meetings I ever had.'”
Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program (2017)
paragraph 26
The programme was initially largely funded at Reid's request; he was Nevada Democrat Senate majority leader with a long interest in space phenomena.
“initially it was largely funded at the request of Harry Reid, the Nevada Democrat who was the Senate majority leader at the time and who has long had an interest in space phenomena”
Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program (2017)
paragraph 5
The Defence Appropriations Acts of FY2008 and FY2010 appropriated $22 million for the DIA at Reid's direction to assess advanced aerospace threats.
“At the direction of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), the Defense Appropriations Acts of Fiscal Years 2008 and 2010 appropriated $22 million for the DIA to assess long-term and over-the-horizon foreign advanced aerospace threats to the United States.”
AARO Historical Record Report Volume I: U.S. Government Involvement with UAP
page 23, AAWSAP/AATIP section
Most of the money went to an aerospace research company run by Robert Bigelow, a billionaire entrepreneur and longtime friend of Reid.
“Most of the money went to an aerospace research company run by a billionaire entrepreneur and longtime friend of Mr. Reid's, Robert Bigelow”
Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program (2017)
paragraph 5
None of the three senators wanted a public debate about AATIP funding; Reid described it as 'black money' from the Pentagon's classified programmes budget.
“None of the three senators wanted a public debate on the Senate floor about the funding for the program, Mr. Reid said. 'This was so-called black money,' he said. 'Stevens knows about it, Inouye knows about it. But that was it, and that's how we wanted it.' Mr. Reid was referring to the Pentagon budget for classified programs.”
Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program (2017)
paragraph 29
By 2009 Reid argued the programme had made extraordinary discoveries warranting heightened security, citing 'several highly sensitive, unconventional aerospace-related findings.'
“By 2009, Mr. Reid decided that the program had made such extraordinary discoveries that he argued for heightened security to protect it. 'Much progress has been made with the identification of several highly sensitive, unconventional aerospace-related findings,' Mr. Reid said in a letter to William Lynn III”
Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program (2017)
paragraph 38
On 24 June 2009, Reid sent a letter to Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn III requesting AATIP be made a DoD Special Access Program.
“On 24 June 2009, Senator Reid sent a letter to then Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn III requesting that AAWSAP/AATIP be made a DoD Special Access Program.”
AARO Historical Record Report Volume I: U.S. Government Involvement with UAP
page 24, AAWSAP/AATIP section
Reid's request for Special Access Program status for AATIP was rejected by the Pentagon.
“Reid said, 'Yeah, that's why I wanted them to take a look at it. But they wouldn't give me the clearance.'”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2
Chapter 12, paragraph 19
Reid stated he was proud of the AATIP programme, calling it 'one of the good things I did in my congressional service.'
“'I'm not embarrassed or ashamed or sorry I got this thing going,' Mr. Reid said in a recent interview in Nevada. 'I think it's one of the good things I did in my congressional service. I've done something that no one has done before.'”
Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program (2017)
paragraph 10
Reid said UFO sightings were not often reported up the military chain of command because service members feared being laughed at or stigmatised.
“The sightings were not often reported up the military's chain of command, Mr. Reid said, because service members were afraid they would be laughed at or stigmatized.”
Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program (2017)
paragraph 25
Reid stated he did not know where the observed objects came from: 'If anyone says they have the answers now, they're fooling themselves.'
“For his part, Mr. Reid said he did not know where the objects had come from. 'If anyone says they have the answers now, they're fooling themselves,' he said. 'We do not know.'”
Glowing Auras and 'Black Money': The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program (2017)
paragraph 43
Reid told The New Yorker he was told for decades that Lockheed had retrieved materials, and he tried to obtain classified approval to examine them but was denied.
“'I was told for decades that Lockheed had some of these retrieved materials,' he said. 'And I tried to get, as I recall, a classified approval by the Pentagon to have me go look at the stuff. They would not approve that.'”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2
Chapter 12, paragraph 21
A 2009 Reid memo outlining his SAP request became a point of dispute in the Elizondo AATIP role controversy.
“The memo outlined Senator Reid's request and reasoning to get the AATIP a "Special Access Program" or SAP status”
Pentagon Reinforces Elizondo Had No AATIP Responsibilities; Reid 2009 Memo Changes Nothing
paragraph 4
An official letter from Reid was cited by Elizondo as countering Pentagon claims that Elizondo had no part in AATIP.
“Official letter from former Senate Majority Leader and AATIP sponsor Harry Reid. This letter counters the later claims made by the Pentagon that I had no part in AATIP.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs — Chapter 2 (image only)
Appendix, Documents section
Reid supported the AAWSAP and AATIP programmes as well as the UAP disclosure effort; he is deceased at the time the acknowledgments were written.
“my late friend, the legendary senator Harry Reid”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs — Chapter 2 (image only)
Acknowledgments, paragraph 7
Reid died peacefully in his sleep one day after President Biden signed the UAP bill into law, at the end of December 2021.
“A day later, my old friend Harry Reid died peacefully in his sleep.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs — Chapter 2 (image only)
Chapter 23, paragraph 59
Chuck Schumer stated he honoured the legacy of his mentor Harry Reid by fighting for transparency on unexplained phenomena.
“I am honored to carry on the legacy of my mentor and dear friend, Harry Reid, and fight for the transparency that the public has long demanded surround these unexplained phenomena.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs — Chapter 2 (image only)
Chapter 24, paragraph 15