Who?
Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) — Task Force on Declassification of Federal Secrets
“Hiring Grusch gives us the precision to do a rifle shot at this topic.”
LISTEN: Laslo & Burlison
Ask a Pol asks:
Have you officially on-boarded your new staffer UFO whistleblower David Grusch?
Key Burlison:
“He starts April 1,” Rep. Eric Burlison exclusively tells Ask a Pol. “He’s filling out the paperwork. You'll have to check all the same boxes that every other employee does.”
Do you know about his clearance?
“We are working on that. That was, in fact, one of my first actions. As soon as he signed and we agreed, I signed a document to request that his clearance be restored,” Burlison says. “I think we sent it to someone at the Pentagon.”
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Burlison’s bracing for roadblocks ahead…
“We'll see how much this town comes out and puts out all the stops,” Burlison says.
You're waiting for it?
“Right, and if it does then there'll be no questioning the fact that they're trying to hide this information,” Burlison says. “Hiring Grusch gives us the precision to do a rifle shot at this topic and try to get us the answers quick, and I like the fact that we do have this on a timeline of a four-month period.”
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Caught our ear:
“When Grusch comes in we'll put together a plan, and if that plan includes doing a field hearing, then yeah,” Burlison says. “That's one of the things that we might talk about.”
Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO), slightly edited for clarity.
TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Eric Burlison
SCENE: After members of the House of Representatives cast their last votes for the week, Rep. Eric Burlison stays on the House floor to deliver a short speech honoring a constituent.
Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo is listening to Burlison on C-SPAN as he waits in the Speaker’s Lobby — a private, historic space just off the floor — for the congressman to wrap up.
Because of a mini delay, Laslo’s still listening to Burlison’s speech when the congressman approaches in the Speaker’s Lobby. The two then proceed to walk outside — past large, heavy and loud post-9-11 security barriers — as they head back to the congressman’s office across the street.
Matt Laslo: “How you livin?”
Eric Burlison: “Good.”
ML: “You know what’s interesting? I just walked across the street with HPSCI Ranking Member Jim Himes, and I was like, ‘Do you know the name “David Grusch”’? And he's like, ‘yeah’ — so I guess he's looked into Grusch and his claims.”
EB: “Oh, okay?”
ML: “And Himes is top Dem on Intel.”
EB: “Oh, okay.”
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ML: “Yeah.”
EB: “I’ll have to — don’t know him. I’ll have to…”
ML: “He’s Connecticut. Tall. Very skeptical of the issue, but that’s why it was interesting he knew the name ‘David Grusch.’ And that he knew his allegations, which is interesting. How umm…”
EB: “Are you okay to walk?”
ML: “Yeah. Whatever you need.”
The pair start heading towards Burlison’s office across the street.
ML: “Have you officially on-boarded Grusch?”
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EB: “He starts April 1.”
They pass by a handful of Capitol Police officers.
ML: “Yeah?”
EB: “So we’ve — he’s filling out the paperwork. You'll have to check all the same boxes that every other employee does.”
ML: “Yeah, right?”
EB: “I joked with him, you'll have to take sexual harassment training.”
Stranger: “Excuse me.”
Burlison and Laslo exit on 2nd floor of US Capitol.
ML: “Do um — has it…”
Burlison and Laslo start walking down the Capitol’s east front steps on this cool, bright spring day.
ML: “Do you know about his clearance?”
EB: “We are working on that.”
A large metal security barrier screeches up in background.
EB: “…like, that was, in fact, one of my first actions. As soon as he signed and we agreed, I signed a document to request that his clearance be restored.”
ML: “Does that first have to go through [House Oversight Chair James] Comer, because that's your committee? Or does that go to Intel? Or…?”
EB: “I sent it to — I would have to double check with my with my office who it was that we sent it to, but I thought it — I think we sent it to someone at the Pentagon.”
ML: “Oh, interesting. And do you — so right now, you just don't have any feedback on it?”
EB: “No.”
ML: “Are you pretty optimistic?”
EB: “To me, even if we can't get his clearance, we can get — he can definitely provide strategic guidance on where to go.”
ML: “Yeah?”
EB: “Right? And what to do…”
Laslo warns the congressman of some mud on the ground.
ML: “Watch out, sir.”
EB: “He's gonna carry out quite a bit of legwork. He's gonna commit — he's committed a significant amount of time — about a little over a day a week — on this. So…”
ML: “Already?”
EB: “That's what he's committed to.”
ML: “And do you — so is he gonna be a full-time staffer with you?”
Laslo laughs.
EB: “No part time.”
ML: “Oh, interesting. And that just comes out of your normal office budget?”
EB: “Yeah.”
ML: “Is that taking a hit? Like, are some of your other assistants, like, [doing extra]?”
EB: “A little bit of a hit.”
ML: “Yeah?”
EB: “Sure. It's not a whole lot. We basically just tried to seek what would be the minimum.”
ML: “Yeah?”
EB: “Because he's not doing this to be to make money. He just wants to, you know, roll…”
ML: “Yeah?”
EB: “I think that a person who's doing the work that he’s going to be doing deserves to get paid.”
ML: “Yeah, right?”
EB: “And when he's — especially when he's expecting him to travel here, to take time away from his family.”
ML: “Yeah?”
EB: “I think it's appropriate for us to cover those.”
ML: “Do you, like, is he gonna be spearheading — like, will he work with Luna and other members? Or is he mostly going to be…”
EB: “So the way that the rules apply, he can only work for me.”
ML: “Yeah?”
EB: “And if the [Oversight] Committee decides they want to hire him — or the Task Force — that's there, if they decide to do that, I would hope that at the end of the four month term that we have him signed on for that the committee staff would do that. But we'll see. I mean, if we're successful, it may not be necessary.”
ML: “Yeah, well, that'll be interesting, because with Luna and the Secrets Task Force, with you having Grusch this means you might kind of take the lead on some of this stuff? Or you see that you guys are just working in tandem?”
EB: “We're working in tandem. Anna is really a very gracious individual…”
ML: “Yeah?”
EB: “…and doesn't — she's been very unselfish and doesn’t, and really just kind of lifts up and empowers the members of the committee — or the Task Force — and I really respect that about her.”
ML: “Like last year, last session, there was talk, maybe a field hearing. Has there been that talk or..?”
EB: “Yeah. I think what we’ll — when Grusch comes in we'll put together a plan where…”
ML: “Yeah?”
EB: “…and if that plan includes doing a field hearing, then yeah, that's one of the things that we might talk about.”
ML: “Do you have a feeling where the investigation goes? Like, is it — some people think it's military contractors or some people say Department of Energy — do you. Like, have you guys had those discussions?”
EB: “No.”
ML: “No? But you will once he's here?”
EB: “Yeah.”
ML: “Yeah? Like, how big of a — do you think this is going to be a game changer? Or has the potential to?”
EB: “I think it has the potential to, right? And we'll see how much this town comes out and puts out all the stops.”
ML: “Yeah? You're waiting for it?”
EB: “Right, and if it does then there'll be no questioning the fact that they're trying to hide this information.”
ML: “Yeah?”
EB: “So…”
ML: “Interesting.”
EB: “That's why this is — hiring Grusch gives us the precision to do a rifle shot at this topic and try to get us the answers quick, and I like the fact that we do have this on a timeline of a four-month period.”
ML: “Yeah?”
EB: “Because when you set a timeline on a project, and you've got…”
ML: “Yeah? It can focus you.”
EB: “Yeah. It focuses you. You know that you got to get things done.”
ML: “Like my students at finals time.”
EB: “That’s right.”
Laslo laughs.
ML: “Interesting. Has the Pentagon or AARO reached out? Do you think push back might come from them or…?”
EB: “I don't, I don't know.”
ML: “Yeah?”
EB: “But we have not…”
ML: “But you have to brace for it?”
EB: “…it was just us meeting.”
ML: “Yeah?”
EB: “We met with Lue [Elizondo] and Christopher Mellon yesterday.”
ML: “Oh interesting.”
EB: “They were in town.”
ML: “That’s interesting. Luna just told me that you guys are planning a SCIF briefing with those three in April?”
EB: “Yes.”
ML: “Interesting.”
EB: “End of April.”
ML: “So that’s — that’s right around the corner.”
EB: “And the good thing about that is, leading up to that hearing, Grusch will be on my staff and I’ll know what questions to ask.”
ML: “Interesting. I mean, that alone — some of you guys leaving the SCIF have complained for one, they should have known you were going to ask those questions and they didn't bring that material. Or they…”
EB: “And the one thing that I hope that that she does is is gives us plenty of time in that SCIF.”
ML: “Ahuh? Yup.”
EB: “A lot — one of the complaints I have is that we've, the time that we've had before is very short.”
ML: “And you're always one of the last ones to leave.”
EB: “And I'm trying to soak up everything I can.”
ML: “Right? Interesting.”
EB: “So…”
ML: “I’ll be watching.”
Burlison and Laslo arrive at the congressman’s office door.
ML: “Hey, have a good one.”
EB: “Thanks Matt.”
ML: “Preciate ya.”
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