Pentagon: Elizondo sends first letter defending AATIP role
Four days after The Intercept published an article questioning his role, Elizondo sent a two-page email to the Pentagon's Office of Public Affairs. He described this correspondence as his final effort to prevent escalation and included a list of witnesses who could confirm his program responsibilities.
Background
Approximately four days after The Intercept's critical article appeared in June 2019, Luis Elizondo dispatched a detailed two-page email to the Pentagon's Office of Public Affairs to address what he termed false accusations regarding his AATIP involvement. In this message, which was later obtained via FOIA request OSD/JS 21-F-0938, Elizondo attempted to de-escalate the growing controversy by providing documentary evidence of his responsibilities. The email referenced attachments containing additional verification materials, though these remained unreleased at the time of publication. Elizondo confirmed this represented his initial attempt to resolve the dispute directly with the Department of Defense.