Online: Black Vault releases Mellon DOPSR review records
The Black Vault published seventeen pages of Defense Department documents regarding Christopher Mellon's prepublication review. The records included internal emails, coordination notes, and the approval worksheet. These materials were obtained through Freedom of Information Act case 24-F-1134.
Background
On November 24, 2025, the investigative archive released its complete file from FOIA request 24-F-1134. The disclosure comprised seventeen pages sourced from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, detailing the entire DOPSR handling process from January through March 2024. The cache included Mellon's original submission letter, internal email threads documenting bureaucratic obstacles, and the final signed authorization forms. Notably, the release revealed that Mellon's initial postal submission had been rejected as a security threat, a detail absent from his public narrative. OSD redacted certain elements using trade-secret exemptions, particularly regarding the identity of the alleged program gatekeeper mentioned in the original message.