People

Leslie Kean

American investigative journalist best known for co-authoring the December 2017 New York Times article that disclosed the existence of a secret Pentagon programme investigating unidentified anomalous phenomena.

journalist author

The New York Times (contributor), Huffington Post (contributor) · Investigative journalist, author

Leslie Kean is an American investigative journalist and author with a long-standing focus on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). She had been a reporter for major metropolitan newspapers and developed a notable interest in the UAP topic prior to her most prominent work.¹ Among her earlier contributions to the field, she wrote a well-received book on military encounters with UAP and secured a major court victory against NASA over the release of documents relating to a 1965 UAP incident in Pennsylvania Kecksburg.² Harold Puthoff had known Kean for years before her later collaboration with government insiders, having written a blurb for her book prior to its release.³

Kean’s path towards her landmark 2017 reporting began through her connection with Christopher Mellon, into whose UAP organisation she had been welcomed by 2016.²² On 2017-10-04, on the afternoon of his resignation from the Pentagon, Luis Elizondo met Mellon and others in a hotel lobby near the Pentagon, where Kean — described as an independent investigative journalist arranged by Mellon — was also present.⁴ Elizondo later stated his belief that he was the first person to inform Kean of the existence of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) during that approximately four-hour meeting.^5,6 Kean subsequently devoted two Huffington Post columns to UAP, focusing primarily on the To the Stars Academy of Arts and Science.⁷ Elizondo later met Kean again in Philadelphia, alongside Ralph Blumenthal, a contributor and former staff reporter for The New York Times, to discuss a story about AATIP.⁸ Kean has also stated that she met Elizondo and Mellon in a hotel lobby in Washington D.C., where she was shown documents.⁹

On 2017-12-17, The New York Times published the article “Glowing Auras and Black Money: The Pentagon’s Mysterious U.F.O. Program”, co-authored by Helene Cooper, Ralph Blumenthal, and Kean, appearing as a front-page Sunday spread.^10,11 Kean described the two central revelations of the story: first, that a secret programme within the Pentagon had been studying UAP objects since 2007; and second, the details of the 2004 Nimitz UAP encounter.^12,13 The Sunday print edition carried two articles: the front-page story disclosed the existence of AATIP and Elizondo’s role, while a second story inside the paper interviewed David Fravor and Jim Slaight and detailed the Tic Tac sighting of 2004.¹⁴ To the Stars Academy of Arts and Science had worked with Kean, Blumenthal, and Cooper on those articles, a collaboration Fravor later described as helping to remove the stigma of the UFO topic.¹⁵ In July 2020, Kean and Blumenthal co-authored a further New York Times article titled “U.F.O. Unit at Pentagon Will Publish Its Findings”.¹⁶

In June 2023, Kean co-authored a further significant disclosure article reporting on the claims of David Grusch, a former intelligence official turned whistleblower, who alleged that the US had retrieved craft of non-human origin.¹⁷ Kean has stated that crash retrievals was a particularly difficult subject to introduce to The New York Times owing to the classified nature of the relevant information.¹⁸ She has expressed her personal belief, based on trusted sources, that there is a strong possibility the US military has recovered alien materials.¹⁹

The influence of Kean’s 2017 reporting has been acknowledged in subsequent public forums. Congressman Tim Burchett stated at the House Oversight Subcommittee UAP hearing of 2023-07-26 that Kean’s New York Times article was the reason he became aware of the Tic Tac sighting, and Kean was herself present in the hearing room on that date.^20,21

References (22)

Kean had been a longtime reporter for major metropolitan newspapers with a strong interest in the UAP topic.
“Leslie had been a longtime reporter for major metropolitan newspapers and was very interested in the UAP topic.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs — Chapter 2 (image only) Chapter 21, Kean introduction paragraph
Kean wrote a well-received book about military encounters with UAP and won a major court victory against NASA over documents relating to a 1965 UAP incident in Kecksburg, Pennsylvania.
“Years earlier, she'd written a well-received book about military encounters with UAP and had won a major court victory against NASA over the release of documents relating to a 1965 UAP incident in Kecksburg, Pennsylvania.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs — Chapter 2 (image only) Chapter 21, Kean introduction paragraph
Harold Puthoff had known Kean for years and had written a blurb for her book prior to its release.
“She had known Hal for years; he had done a blurb for her book prior to release.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs — Chapter 2 (image only) Chapter 21, Kean introduction paragraph
On the afternoon of his resignation, Elizondo met Christopher Mellon, Jim Semivan, and Harold Puthoff in a hotel lobby near the Pentagon, where they also met Leslie Kean, described as an independent investigative journalist arranged by Mellon.
“Chris Mellon and Jim Semivan awaited me in the lobby of a hotel not far from the Pentagon. Hal Puthoff arrived shortly after, as did the individual we had all gathered to meet: an independent investigative journalist by the name of Leslie Kean, whom Chris had arranged for us to meet.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs — Chapter 2 (image only) Chapter 21, paragraph after Reid confrontation
Elizondo believes he was the first person to inform Kean of the existence of AATIP.
“I am certain this was the first time Kean learned of AATIP's existence.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs — Chapter 2 (image only) Chapter 21, Kean meeting paragraph
The meeting with Kean lasted approximately four hours.
“Meeting with Kean lasted an exhausting four hours.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs — Chapter 2 (image only) Chapter 21, Kean meeting paragraph
Kean had written two Huffington Post columns on UAP, focusing primarily on To the Stars Academy of Arts and Science, after their first meeting.
“After our prior conversation in DC, Kean had devoted two of her Huffington Post columns to UAP, focusing primarily on the 'extraordinary' development that was TTSA.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs — Chapter 2 (image only) Chapter 21, Philadelphia meeting paragraph
Elizondo later met Kean again in Philadelphia along with Ralph Blumenthal to discuss a New York Times story about AATIP.
“Later that month, I left our house for a short trip to Philadelphia to meet again with Leslie Kean, this time with her longtime colleague and friend Ralph Blumenthal... Following our first four-hour meeting, she had immediately contacted Blumenthal, a contributor and former staff reporter for the New York Times, to see if he was interested.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs — Chapter 2 (image only) Chapter 21, Philadelphia meeting paragraph
Kean stated she met Christopher Mellon and Luis Elizondo in a hotel lobby in Washington D.C. and was shown documents.
“Chris Mellon was there and of course the purpose of it was for me to meet Lou Elizondo, so he was there. I was shown these documents that blew my mind.”
The UFO Phenomenon | Full Documentary 2021 | 7NEWS Spotlight 00:13:06
The New York Times article 'Glowing Auras and Black Money: The Pentagon's Mysterious U.F.O. Program' was published on 17 December 2017 by Helene Cooper, Ralph Blumenthal, and Leslie Kean.
“Helene Cooper, Ralph Blumenthal and Leslie Kean, 'Real U.F.O.'s? Pentagon Unit Tried to Know', The New York Times, 17 December 2017, p. A1.”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 16, endnote 10
The 2017 NYT article appeared as a front-page Sunday spread, with three reporters sharing bylines including freelancer Leslie Kean.
“the New York Times broke the story with its lavish front-page Sunday spread on December 17, 2017 ... The three reporters who shared bylines on the story, including freelancer Leslie Kean”
The Media Loves This UFO Expert Who Says He Worked for an Obscure Pentagon Program. Did He? paragraphs 23, 27
Kean stated that the first key revelation in the NYT UAP story was that there was a secret programme within the Pentagon that had started in 2007 and had been studying UAP objects for ten years.
“The first revelation was that there was a secret program within the Pentagon that had started in 2007 that had been studying these objects. So this had been for 10 years, secretly being studied.”
The UFO Phenomenon | Full Documentary 2021 | 7NEWS Spotlight 00:13:24
Kean stated that the second key revelation in the NYT UAP story was the Nimitz case that happened in 2004.
“The second revelation was the Nimitz case that happened in 2004.”
The UFO Phenomenon | Full Documentary 2021 | 7NEWS Spotlight 00:13:40
The NYT Sunday print edition ran two articles about UAP written by Kean, Blumenthal, and Cooper; the front-page story revealed the existence of AATIP and Elizondo's role, while an inside story interviewed David Fravor and Jim Slaight and revealed details of the Tic Tac incident in 2004.
“The Times stories appeared the following day on the cover of the print edition of the Sunday paper. They ran two articles, written by Leslie Kean, Ralph Blumenthal, and Helene Cooper. Their front-page story revealed the existence of AATIP—that is, a secret program investigating UAP—and my role. Inside the newspaper, a second story interviewed Dave Fravor and Jim Slaight and revealed details of the Tic Tac incident in 2004.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs — Chapter 2 (image only) Chapter 21, NYT articles paragraph
To the Stars Academy worked with Kean, Blumenthal, and Cooper to publish articles in the 2017 New York Times, admitting the US Government was looking at UAP and removing the stigma of the UFO topic.
“worked with Leslie Keane, Ralph Blumenthal and Helene Cooper to publish the articles in the NYT in Dec 2017 admitting the USG was looking at UAPs and removed the Stigma of the UFO topic”
David Fravor Statement for the House Oversight Committee page 2, paragraph 5
Blumenthal and Kean authored a New York Times article titled 'U.F.O. Unit at Pentagon Will Publish Its Findings', published on 24 July 2020.
“Ralph Blumenthal and Leslie Kean, 'U.F.O. Unit at Pentagon Will Publish Its Findings', The New York Times, 24 July 2020, p. A17.”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 19, endnote 17
Kean co-authored the 2023 article disclosing David Grusch's claims that the US had retrieved craft of non-human origin.
“Leslie Kean and Ralph Blumenthal, with Helene Cooper, co-authored the Dec. 17, 2017, front-page article in The New York Times that disclosed the existence of a secret Pentagon program investigating UAP.”
Intelligence Officials Say U.S. Has Retrieved Craft of Non-Human Origin author note
Kean stated that crash retrievals was a particularly difficult topic to get into The New York Times because the information about it is classified.
“It's probably been the most difficult . . . topic to get out into The Times because for all the reasons you could imagine, because of its controversy and because the information about it is classified”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 paragraph 18
Kean stated she believes there is a strong possibility that the US military has recovered alien materials, based on sources she trusts who have told her this.
“I think there's a strong possibility of that, yes. And I've spoken to sources who have basically said that, yes, and I trust these sources.”
The UFO Phenomenon | Full Documentary 2021 | 7NEWS Spotlight 01:02:28
Tim Burchett noted that Kean's New York Times article was the reason he knew about the Tic Tac encounters.
“the reason I know about the Tic Tacs is because Leslie Keane from a New York Times article”
House Oversight Subcommittee UAP Hearing – 26 July 2023 file_page 24, printed_page 20
Kean was present in the hearing room on 26 July 2023.
“Leslie Keane, who is present today”
House Oversight Subcommittee UAP Hearing – 26 July 2023 page 14
Kean wrote in 2016 that she was privileged to welcome Christopher Mellon into the UFO organisation to which she belonged.
“freelancer Leslie Kean (who wrote in 2016 that she was "privileged to welcome" Chris Mellon into the UFO organization to which she belonged)”
The Media Loves This UFO Expert Who Says He Worked for an Obscure Pentagon Program. Did He? paragraph 27

Leslie Kean

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