DoD Releases Redacted Report on UFO Whistleblower David Grusch

A heavily redacted Department of Defense Inspector General report reveals the conclusion of a UAP-related whistleblower reprisal investigation. According to documents obtained by The Black Vault through a Freedom of Information Act request, the investigation was closed in February 2025.

The complaint alleged that officials revoked the whistleblower’s eligibility for access to classified information and refused to grant access to compartmented programs in reprisal for reporting UAP-related matters to the DoD Office of Inspector General. The report confirms the complainant made protected disclosures, including one directly to the DoD Inspector General.

According to the documents, on August 29, 2022, the complainant received notice that their security clearance was being revoked. They were removed from classified systems, required to surrender their access badges, and placed on paid administrative leave. By December 2022, the final revocation letter was signed.

The Inspector General concluded that protected disclosures were not a contributing factor in the revocation decision, citing a pattern of misconduct separate from any UAP-related disclosures.

David Grusch

However, internal communications reveal confusion among personnel involved in the case. One September 2022 message asked on what grounds the complainant had for a whistleblower case, with another official responding they had no information about it. Documents also show officials delayed sending the revocation letter due to concerns about optics since the complainant was claiming whistleblower status.

Despite the revocation, the complainant appealed to the Personnel Security Appeals Board. On January 9, 2023, they presented their case, and the following day the board voted unanimously to overturn the determination and reinstate the security clearance.

While the report does not name the complainant, The Black Vault notes strong chronological and contextual matches to publicly documented filings associated with former intelligence official David Grusch. An unclassified procedural filing dated May 25, 2022, reflects a complaint of reprisal signed by David C. Grusch. The Debrief reported in 2023 that the Intelligence Community Inspector General found Grusch’s complaint credible and urgent in July 2022.

Notably, The Black Vault’s FOIA request did not mention Grusch by name. It simply requested all Inspector General complaints referencing whistleblowers who reported UAP-related programs from January 2021 to present. Only one case was returned.

Sources

Blumenthal, L. K. (2023, November 25). Intelligence officials say U.S. has retrieved craft of Non-Human Origin. The Debrief. https://thedebrief.org/intelligence-officials-say-u-s-has-retrieved-non-human-craft/

Greenewald, J., Greenewald, J., & Greenewald, J. (2026, January 8). DOD IG releases final UAP whistleblower reprisal report. The Black Vault — Discover the Truth. https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/dod-ig-releases-final-uap-whistleblower-reprisal-report/