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Expanding Frontiers Research (EFR) is committed to sharing information and resources that most effectively embody best research practices. We conduct and publish research on a wide range of topics and take a multi-tiered approach to providing the public credible information. This approach includes both compiling original research as well as archiving historic material. This inherently means that EFR values standards of evidence recognized by the professional research community. This does not mean the organization or its supporters are opposed to exploring maverick science or fascinating possibilities, but that those possibilities must be subjected to rigorous examination to advance from conjecture to fact. Likewise, there are certain definitions that apply to select terms and those definitions should not be lost in ambiguous and obtuse framing for reasons that have traditionally included insincere efforts to gain otherwise unearned credibility and prestige. For instance, bad actors have long tried to hijack the term “scientific research” in order to deceive the masses. In reality, it takes more than credentials and rhetoric to qualify any given activity as a scientific endeavor. Actual scientific research might, by definition, include stated goals, methodologies, plans for how progress is measured, and progress reports, among other dynamics. It is a systematic process that should have minimal ambiguity and maximum transparency and accountability. If an individual or organization claims to be conducting scientific investigation, they should be accountable for adhering to universally recognized protocols. Research does not have to be scientific to be of value. Journalists and many types of investigators conduct fact-finding activities of merit that are not scientific. It should be noted whether or not the activities are claimed to be scientific, and the extent standards of evidence are valued. EFR Director Erica Lukes regularly interviews individuals who express values and vision with which we share. Among those individuals is Paul Carr of Aerial Phenomena Investigations, a Washington, DC-based UFO investigation group that takes a grounded and sober approach to its work. Aerial Phenomena Investigations posts and adheres to policies on ethics and witness confidentiality. The organization's website gives visitors access to API reports, UFO investigation training videos, and similar useful resources. Erica Lukes recently had a discussion with researcher Leah Prime, who described what it means to be a good steward in ufology. This includes changing opinions based on provision of evidence, she explained, and, importantly, being willing to do so publicly when applicable: Vanessa Walilko is a popular podcaster with a diverse range of interests. Her achievements include published academic research and promoting inclusion among often marginalized populations. Erica Lukes and she discussed such topics as questionable origins of modern UFO research, tendencies to avert from salient issues in lieu of sensational stories, and differentiating between personal attacks and otherwise reasonable criticism of assertions put forth: Barry Greenwood is a researcher, an author, and recognized as a foremost leading archivist on UFO and related material. He has contributed material to many books, articles, and films. Greenwood is also a member of the EFR Board of Directors. He and Erica Lukes discussed archiving: We at Expanding Frontiers Research hope you find our contributions and efforts to be worthwhile. Your interest is appreciated, and we look forward to ongoing work and rewarding collaborations.

Financial records obtained from Uintah County indicate it spent over $133,000 on the 2022 PhenomeCon while raising about $124,000 in revenue, compiling a reported debt of some $9,000 for sponsoring the paranormal-themed conference. The inaugural 2021 PhenomeCon likewise tallied over $74,000 in payouts while collecting about $59,000 in revenue, finishing some $15,000 in the hole. Expenses for the two conferences, confirmed to be sponsored by Uintah County, include tens of thousands of dollars in payments to dubious speakers and catered “VIP” meals in which unsupported rumors were spread of dangerous paranormal phenomena. Payouts also include workshops promoting such topics as Remote Viewing and payments for rental car reimbursements. During the 2022 PhenomeCon, payments issued for speaking engagements, consultation services, and appearances at events totaled over $60,000, while hotel chains were paid in excess of $10,000, according to the financial reports. Expanding Frontiers Research (EFR) obtained the information through public records requests submitted to the Uintah County offices of the Clerk-Auditor and Travel and Tourism. The requests were submitted as part of a joint effort between this writer and EFR Director Erica Lukes, who contributed substantial research to this article. Uintah County is home to the property in Utah known as Skinwalker Ranch, where unsubstantiated stories of spooky goings ons have been popularized by late night talk radio, cable television, and credulous books co-authored by fringe reporter George Knapp with former defense officials harboring unclear agendas. Many of the PhenomeCon speakers are associated with Skinwalker Ranch. The records obtained contain an entry from 2021 indicating $850 was paid to a law firm, apparently for trademark search and filing services. Further research indicated a “PhenomeCon” trademark was filed in 2021 and owned by Uintah County. Uintah County Travel and Tourism Director Lesha Coltharp confirmed during an Oct. 3 telephone call that PhenomeCon is a Uintah County-sponsored conference. Websites which advertised and collected payment to attend PhenomeCon, which carries the tagline, "We believe," did not as of this writing indicate Uintah County puts on the event. Coltharp and personnel from the Clerk-Auditor's office additionally verified interpretation of the financial records. The records indicate over $207,000 in funds were spent on the two PhenomeCon conferences at a combined loss of about $24,000. Perhaps even more significant is how the money was spent and that county government is involved at all. Disbursements recorded by the Uintah County offices of the Clerk-Auditor and Travel and Tourism include over $6,100 to George Knapp in 2021; over $5,100 in payments were recorded to Dr. Travis Taylor in 2021 and over $5,400 in combined payouts in 2022; $5,495 in payments were made in 2021 to Skinwalker Ranch superintendent Thomas Winterton's company, Dabato, LLC, and nearly $5,000 in payments were logged to Winterton in 2022. Lesha Coltharp credited Thomas Winterton with initially planning PhenomeCon with government officials. Additional PhenomeCon expenses include Dragon Security, also affiliated with Skinwalker Ranch, which was issued over $2,000 in payments in 2021 and over $5,000 in 2022. Scientist Erik Bard, yet another Skinwalker alumni, was issued over $2,000 in payments in 2021 and in excess of $2,700 in 2022. At the 2022 PhenomeCon, held Sep. 7-11 at the Uintah Conference Center in the county seat of Vernal, Christopher Duncan was allocated $960 for a Remote Viewing workshop. According to additional entries, he was paid another combined $1,500. Other 2022 events include a “Voices of Believers Dinner,” for which caterers were paid $4,200. The tab for a “Behind the Scenes Dinner with Skinwalker Ranch” weighed in at $7,351, while records indicate a combined $7,000 was paid to caterers for what were termed opening and closing receptions. Miscellaneous expenses include over $2,300 for tee shirts, over $850 for “PhenomeCon Pens,” and nearly $900 for “Candy for Speakers.” Lesha Coltharp defended the PhenomeCon financial losses and Uintah County's decision-making process, stating the conference brings some thousand tourists to the area. “It was a huge success,” she contended. “We had people attend from 38 states and four different countries and they were here for anywhere from five days to 14 days.” Attendees would praise the event, she added, saying it is above and beyond anything they get anywhere else in the country. “We bring in high caliber speakers so that it's the real deal.” Coltharp was advised EFR does not share her assessment of the caliber of speakers. She was further informed EFR has concerns when a county government facilitates spreading unverified claims about purported paranormal activity as perpetrated by PhenomeCon and speakers it pays and promotes. Dr. Travis Taylor is a consultant in the intelligence community and is employed at Radiance Technologies. He is also a cast member of the cable television show The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch. He publicly asserts mysterious and serious harm is subject to come to people associated with the property. At an event labeled a VIP lunch conducted during the 2022 PhenomeCon, Taylor stated a woman “ended up with a very dangerous form of cancer” as a result of an orb passing through her. He claimed the orb was linked to the ranch through the purported “hitchhiker phenomenon.” The hitchhiker phenomenon is an entirely unverified speculation that suggests people who encounter select paranormal phenomena become enmeshed with the phenomena, which accompanies them across potentially long distances and transfers to others with whom they interact. It should be noted the alleged paranormal phenomena to which Taylor refers has yet to be established to so much as exist, much less its associated hitchhiker effect. Nonetheless, Taylor further asserted during the PhenomeCon VIP lunch that former ranch owner Robert Bigelow “got rid of the place” because “he was convinced it killed his wife.” Multiple requests sent to Dr. Taylor to field questions for this article did not receive responses. Lesha Coltharp was advised of Taylor's statements and asked how it squares with tourism when a PhenomeCon speaker suggests Robert Bigelow's wife died as a result of Skinwalker Ranch. “I'm not sure of that and I didn't hear Dr. Taylor speak, so if I wasn't there and he had that claim, I don't know,” Coltharp responded. It was pointed out to the Travel and Tourism Director there are obvious concerns and breakdowns in logic when the ranch personnel and associates chronically assert the existence of some type of harmful contagion or toxic radiation, yet ignore responsibilities to report such circumstances to proper authorities. Such authorities might include environmental agencies or the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Environmental agencies would potentially conduct an investigation and subsequently implement a series of protocols if reports were deemed valid. While that is the case, rather than involve agencies and more effectively ensure public and personal safety, the narrative is used to promote tourism, up to advertising a PhenomeCon escorted trip to the ranch and using the story as a means to create income for speakers. Can she empathize with the concerns? “I guess that's not Tourism, that's not anything that we have a part of,” Coltharp offered in response. “Does that make sense? We're in it because we have over a thousand people who come here and stay in our hotels and eat in our restaurants, shop in our stores and buy our gas. That's why Tourism's involved – our economic impact of it – that's why we help facilitate the conference. That's why we're involved. We're not involved in any of the science part of it or anything like that.” It might be reasonably surmised Uintah County officials do not believe anyone is in danger from phenomena purported to menace Skinwalker Ranch or cause alleged hitchhiker horrors. One would otherwise have to account for why decisions are made by county government to financially sponsor the event. Specifically, it results in a reported thousand people per year visiting an area of Utah in which George Knapp and others who were paid to attend and speak maintain that poltergeist-like energies attach themselves to human beings, accompany them home, spread to others like a virus and – according to Travis Taylor – cause cancer. If government officials and community leaders sincerely believe those tales, they are arguably acting with substantial negligence to exploit the circumstances as a means to boost the local economy and create financial opportunities for PhenomeCon speakers and consultants. In contrast, if PhenomeCon sponsors and participants do not believe the tales, that raises a different - yet arguably equally important - series of ethical questions. Requests for comment were sent to the Uintah County Commissioners, seeking statements on their stances either opposing or supporting the County's policies on conducting and financially sponsoring PhenomeCon. A voicemail message was left for Commission Chairman Bart Haslem, requesting he clarify his position on PhenomeCon, as well as offer a statement on the safety of conference attendees and Uintah County tourists in general, given the assertions of Dr. Taylor and his fellow Secret of Skinwalker cast members and conference speakers. No responses were received from the County Commission as of this writing. Coltharp described how PhenomeCon began. “We were working with Skinwalker Ranch,” she explained. “So many people go over there to their ranch, over there to their gate, you know? And they wanted people to have some kind of experience - for guests - but they can't let anybody on the ranch because of their paranormal activity, right? So they kind of came up with an idea, 'Hey, what if we call it some kind of a conference where we, you know, are there and help support it?', and then, they had met with our City Manager and our Economic Development Director at the time and they came up with this idea, PhenomeCon. In the process of that, Blind Frog Ranch got involved, and then Russ with Expedition Bigfoot.” Expedition Bigfoot is another cable television show. It features Russell Acord, who Lesha Coltharp was apparently referencing. The Uintah County financial records pertaining to the 2021 PhenomeCon indicate Lorraine Acord was issued $1200. In 2022, records show she received seven payments of $500 each, totaling $3,500, between January and July. Russell Acord was paid eight installments of $500 each during the same period, plus additional payments totaling at least $2,585, bringing his personal grand total for 2022 PhenomeCon to no less than $6,585. He hunts Bigfoot on television. Requests for comment were sent to the office of Vernal City Manager Quinn Bennion. He was asked to comment on if he supports Uintah County sponsoring PhenomeCon. The City Manager was also asked to clarify his position on the safety of conference attendees, given the statements of PhenomeCon speakers pertaining to alleged head injuries and the purported "hitchhiker phenomena" associated with supposed mysterious energies at Skinwalker Ranch. "I am on the organizing committee and assist with conference arrangements. I support the conference occurring in Vernal," Bennion wrote in an Oct. 19 email. He echoed points expressed by Coltharp about a thousand participants from 38 states and four countries, adding, "Phenomecon is a boost to the Vernal economy and tourism." "The conference does not facilitate or transport participants onto private property including Skinwalker Ranch," the City Manager continued, apparently implying tourists are guaranteed to remain out of harm's way as long as they don't go on the real estate parcel. "The add-on tour turns around at the gate." Bennion was asked in a follow-up email if it was fair to say he does not believe tourists are in any danger associated with alleged Skinwalker Ranch paranormal phenomena or "hitchhiker phenomena" as described at the 2022 PhenomeCon by Dr. Travis Taylor. He was provided a link to Taylor's related statements. Bennion was also asked, as a member of the organizing committee, to please summarize the process of how speakers and their amounts of compensation are selected. Some speakers were reportedly paid $300 while others received thousands for attendance at various events. Is there a call for proposals for potential speakers? Who makes these decisions and what are the decisions based on? "I am not qualified to respond about 'hitchhiker phenomena,'" Vernal City Manager Bennion emailed in response. He added that he was the committee host at the VIP lunch and did not hear Taylor's statements, which might be considered beside the point, given he was provided a link to a video clip containing the doctor's claims. "The organizing committee makes the decisions on speakers and compensation," Bennion briefly wrote, apparently opting to decline summarizing the process as was requested. He concluded he would not respond further to emails "unless you have an open records request to Vernal City." Lesha Coltharp explained the Skinwalker Ranch “casting crew” wanted to do some kind of conference, “so they could interact with the community.” She was asked, when she stated “they” wanted people to have some kind of experience and met with the City Manager and an economic developer, who specifically was she referencing? “Thomas Winterton. So he's from the Uintah Basin and so, yeah, he wanted to do something to help have an economic impact for the community.” As cited above, records indicate over $10,000 in combined payments were made from Uintah County offices to Thomas Winterton and his LLC for the 2021 and 2022 PhenomeCon conferences. This apparently includes payment in 2022 for appearances at the Behind the Scenes Dinner with Skinwalker Ranch and a VIP breakfast, as well as his involvement with an “Escorted Trip to Skinwalker Ranch.” Winterton publicly claims he sustained repeated head injuries, spanning many years, associated with inexplicable energies at the ranch. In spite of that being the case, he remarkably continues to apparently spend significant amounts of time at Skinwalker Ranch and encourages people to visit the surrounding area, seemingly including taking an escorted trip, or "add-on tour," as City Manager Bennion put it. Speculation about Havana Syndrome and its relationship to Uintah County is fueled by figures such as Dr. Garry Nolan of Stanford University. During a 2021 interview with Motherboard, Nolan directly described a victim of what he labeled Havana Syndrome at Skinwalker Ranch. The immunologist further asserted he and colleagues "can actually estimate the amount of energy required in the electromagnetic wave someone aimed at them." Researchers, presumably including Kit Green and he, think the alleged case at Skinwalker was perpetrated by some sort of state actor, Nolan explained. Nolan has to this point failed to adequately establish an electromagnetic wave was involved in the case at all, much less positively and intentionally aimed by anyone, state actor or otherwise. It should nonetheless not escape consideration that government officials and Skinwalker personnel apparently proceed with plans for conferences and activities while presumably aware of Nolan's allegations. It could be interpreted as difficult to think they believe there is danger, for whatever reasons. In addition to claims of mysterious injuries, Winterton, Taylor, and their fellow Secret of Skinwalker cast members, along with George Knapp and his co-authors, persist in suggesting the presence of some type of potentially toxic or harmful phenomena. The television show itself is widely known for its claims of measuring radiation levels which cast members identify as alarming. EFR filed several records requests with Utah and federal environmental agencies, namely, multiple offices of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency. As of this writing, no evidence has been obtained that indicates such circumstances as asserted by promoters of the Skinwalker narrative were ever reported to proper authorities. As a matter of fact, in certain instances, it is evident they were not. EFR notified the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) of dates of injuries reportedly occurring in the vicinity of Skinwalker Ranch via a records request seeking material pertaining to the events and geographic location. The DEQ Division of Water Quality responded in an Oct. 14 email a search was conducted for incidents occurring on and within a mile-and-a-half of the property. One “environmental incident” was identified, a 2019 circumstance in which a truck hauling crude oil leaked an unknown quantity onto the surface of the road where the oil reportedly solidified in place with no waterways or soil impacted. A map of reported incidents, or primary lack thereof, on and surrounding Skinwalker Ranch as provided by the Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality: In addition to the Division of Water Quality, EFR queried the Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality for records that might reflect incidents that populate the sensational Skinwalker Ranch narrative. A recently received response advised EFR of an allegation filed in 2020 to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission that was subsequently forwarded to the Utah DEQ in 2021. The allegation was authored by someone describing them self as a “concerned citizen” who believed there to be a uranium deposit on Skinwalker Ranch, causing “the majority of the health dangers that people are experiencing there.” The author of the message somewhat erratically went on to suggest an investigation should be secret, include people on the ranch, and findings should not be made public for national security reasons. “Unfortunately,” the Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control explained in its Oct. 18 email response to EFR, “because the property is held by a private entity which has not sought the Division’s assistance for any incidents that may have occurred on-site, the Division has been unable to follow up on the allegation at this time.” It is clear that Skinwalker Ranch personnel, television show cast members, production crew employees, public officials nor anyone else directly or indirectly promoting claims of harmful phenomena inherent to the property have notified Waste Management and Radiation Control. A number of salient, yet unanswered, questions revolve around that fact. At a bare minimum, the concerns expressed in the allegation submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission do not reflect well on the people promoting the story for a living and for various financially motivated reasons, particularly if those people in actuality doubt the authenticity of the narrative. The allegation submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is shown below. The personal information of the submitter was withheld by the DEQ as stipulated in applicable Utah public records laws. A Freedom of Information Act request was submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on the circumstances and remains open as of this writing. The apparent lack of ranch personnel documenting purported incidents with applicable agencies might be considered even more questionable in light of the fact Sen. Ronald Winterton, the reported father of Thomas Winterton, chaired the 2020 Utah House Health and Human Services Committee. A March 2020 memo to Committee members from the office of Sen. Winterton demonstrates the group explored legislation concerning health and human services, emergency medical services, and fatalities, among other issues, just apparently none that have anything to do with cancer-inducing contagions originating from Skinwalker Ranch and Uintah County. Thomas Winterton did not respond to several invitations to discuss his involvement with PhenomeCon for inclusion in this article. Prof. William F. Hall is a former Field Office Director at the Department of Justice, Community Relations Service Division. His professional career includes serving as a special assistant in the U.S. Senate to Sen. John Danforth (R-MO); in the Office of the Mayor in New York for Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Paul Gibson, Jr. (D-NYC); and as a member of the Chicago Mayoral Transition Team for Mayor-Elect, Harold L. Washington (D-IL). He earned degrees and conducted studies in political science, public policy, and social welfare. Prof. Hall is a longtime educator, currently serving Webster University and Washington University. He agreed to speak by phone about government ethics on Oct. 17. Should government sponsorship of a public event be overt and clearly posted? “Yes, it should,” Prof. Hall responded, adding that he recommends for further reference on such issues the National Association of Counties and the American Society for Public Administration. These organizations set industry standards and spell out specific guidelines on government ethics and transparency. Any citizen is entitled to information about the purposes, speakers employed, and other aspects of government activities. Information is made available to people who pay for the activities, Prof. Hall explained, which, in this case, is the taxpayer. “The National Association of Counties and the American Society for Public Administration both have codes of ethics and one of the most important components is the need to have business conducted in the public eye,” he continued. What responsibilities does a county government have in the validity of the stances the speakers take at the events it sponsors? There is typically a request for proposals in which a government body will seek services or, in this instance, speakers. The request for proposals should outline the parameters, the expectations, the qualifications – all of the things that you really need to have – to make an informed and intelligent decision on such matters, the professor explained. The process must of course be within the limits of the law, but sometimes ethical conflicts may be present that do not rise to the level of criminal culpability, yet could violate standards of morality or ethics, or some other benchmark, that governments should attempt to respect and observe. In a best-case scenario, public officials do not settle for mere compliance or trying to avoid breaking the law, but conduct their activities in ways that instill confidence in the public they serve. “In terms of speakers and their views,” Prof. Hall continued, “as far as I'm aware, there is no general prohibition against government agencies contracting with services or speakers that they may not necessarily agree with. I think part of the value of conferences often is being able to expose attendees to views that may be out of the box. Now, having said that, certainly I think there are lines that may be beyond the bounds or beyond the pale of reasonability, and that's when you get into a gray area.” Hall explained the National Association of Counties website references with its code of ethics a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln: “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.” That speaks volumes, the professor emphasized. Something that may not necessarily violate the letter of the law, reasonable minds could ascertain violates the spirit of the law. That's where ethics come into play. Without seeing the specific calls for proposals and the specific county guidelines that dictate how speakers and service providers may be contracted, it would be impossible to offer an informed opinion, but the importance of the process can indeed be explored. It was explained to Hall that one of the compensated speakers was reportedly involved in the initial planning stages with county and city officials of what led to the two conferences. Was the professor suggesting a key aspect of the process was the procedure in which the county selected speakers and arrived at amounts of compensation? “I think that is the crux of the issue,” Prof. Hall replied. “Almost any code of ethics that I am familiar with, and I am familiar with many – in the codes of ethics of the National Association of Counties and American Society for Public Administration, for instances - a major component is there needs to be clear showing that no participant, no one who would vote or select a contractor, would have any 'skin in the game,' or benefit. A big red flag always flies when there is evidence that someone who is deciding also has some stake in the decision, either a monetary one or some other way that ultimately they may value. That is always a red flag, so in the process of selection there should be some evidence that great pains were taken to make sure that no one would be involved in the process that stands to gain anything of value.” Relevant questions might include 'Who were the stakeholders?' and 'Did anyone have a chance to influence the selection that might benefit through personal gain?'. “It doesn't necessarily have to mean money,” Prof. Hall continued, “it could also mean setting the stage for something down the road.” Is it different when a county government gets involved in the Bigfoot and UFO business as compared to a for-profit entity or an entertainment-based company? “I think that's a fair statement,” Prof. Hall responded, while emphasizing the importance of process and procedures. The specific wording of policies and codes adopted by a government administration must be reviewed to determine the extent its actions adhered to or varied from its guidelines. It's all about the process. “A major component of any code of ethics, particularly those that are on point with this particular situation, is the need to demonstrate integrity of the organization, agency or government,” he explained, “the need to adhere to the highest forms of conduct to inspire confidence and trust in public service. Any actions, behavior or decisions that do not enhance or support that integrity diminish the role of government and tend to make the public hesitant to feel their interests are being held to the highest standards. You get into the gray areas at your own peril because, after all, the main issue and goal in a federal system of government, where we disperse power among many different governments, is to advance the public interest.” That's the beauty and the strength of America, Prof. Hall emphasized and concluded. We don't have an authoritarian government at the top that makes all the decisions. We have many different governments with levels of responsibility, but the one constant in democracy, from federal to state to county and townships, is the need for government to advance the public interest.

The Utah Office of the Governor provided records Thursday of a January email chain started by former Entrata CEO David Bateman. The initial email authored by Bateman contained a link to the website of conspiracy monger David Icke, as well as a plea to embrace an anti-Semitic vaccine conspiracy theory. Recipients of the email were some fifty-plus of Utah's leading tech CEOs, investors and other public figures, including the sitting governor, Spencer Cox, as reported by Forbes earlier this year. The records may be downloaded below. Bateman co-founded the Utah-based startup Entrata, a property management software company, valued in 2021 at over a billion dollars. By late afternoon Jan. 4, the day of the email, Entrata announced Bateman had been removed from the board, effective immediately. The email chain was obtained through the Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA), the Utah equivalent of the Freedom of Information Act. The request was submitted to the Office of the Governor in the course of a research collaboration undertaken between this writer and Expanding Frontiers Research Director Erica Lukes. The email obtained from Gov. Cox's office shows how Bateman began the message by stating his belief a sadistic effort to euthanize the American people was underway. He then provided a link to a video posted on the website of David Icke which asserted genocide is being conducted through vaccines. “I believe the Jews are behind this,” Bateman stated in the email, adding that systematic extermination of billions of people would lead to totalitarian rule. “Utah has got to stop the vaccination drive,” he added in closing. In addition to the governor, others in the email group included Matt Waldrip, a well-connected associate of Sen. Mitt Romney. While some requested in response to the message to be taken off the list, Waldrip quipped, “Please DO NOT remove me from future emails,” adding, “It's always informative to understand what the bowels of the human mind can create and helpful to know of the conspiratorial drivel being [propagated] around the state.” Ken Davis was similarly among email recipients who pushed back. Believed to be the former Vice President of Technology at Raytheon and a celebrated Utah entrepreneur, Davis replied he had seen no solid research on “the vaccine CAUSING deleterious effects.” “If you'd like to engage in a scientific conversation about what is going on, I'm happy to be a sounding board,” Davis continued. “But I will NOT participate in the wholesale slander of any group of people...” “I don't want any part of this,” Brock J. Blake, CEO of Lendio concisely replied. “Anti-Semitic, divisive, conspiratorial.” Lendio specializes in facilitating business loans. Other recipients included billionaire Utah Jazz owner and businessman Ryan Smith. Todd Pederson was also on the list, founder of Vivint, a smart home company that sold for more than $2 billion in 2012. Damien Patton was among the more than fifty email recipients. This is presumably the former CEO of Banjo, a Utah-based social media mining company that raised at least $121 million in funding. The corporation made headlines for its artificial intelligence social media alert system that provided real-time updates to law enforcement agencies, but Patton also made news in 2020 when his history was discovered of ties to the Ku Klux Klan, Nazi sympathizers and hate crimes. A contract valued at more than $20 million between Banjo and Utah was subsequently canceled and Patton resigned immediately from his position as CEO.

Official personnel records of Leo H. McCormick compiled during his civil service career were recently obtained from the National Archives and Records Administration. The material was provided in response to a 2021 FOIA request prompted by a 1949 FBI report obtained through the FOIA which referenced McCormick's records maintained at the National Archives (see p15). The records revealed further verification of McCormick's employment and affiliations with Counsel Services, a Baltimore-based public relations firm he co-founded, and the Economic Cooperation Administration, a government agency which acted as a CIA asset. During the mid-20th century, Counsel Services represented career intelligence officers and coordinated the incorporation of the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena, as documented in Wayward Sons: NICAP and the IC. Leo McCormick was born in Baltimore in 1908. Previously obtained FBI files indicate he submitted an application for employment to the Bureau in 1935 (see p30). FBI files also reflect extensive background checks conducted for McCormick's work with the U.S. government. McCormick's recently obtained personnel records establish he was employed in the Office of Emergency Management in the early 1940s. He was assigned to its Office of Price Administration in 1941, where he became the Director for the State of Maryland and would remain until 1946. His office employed Mary Vaughan King, who became a key figure with Counsel Services in 1947 and would prove instrumental in the early operation of NICAP in 1956. McCormick, Vaughan King, and L.G. Shreve co-founded Counsel Services in 1947. According to statements Vaughan King gave the FBI in 1949 (see pp23-24), McCormick sold his interest in Counsel Services to his fellow founders in 1948 to pursue what turned out to be an unsuccessful candidacy for a Democratic seat in Congress. McCormick was well-connected in the community, listing such figures as a Maryland governor and sitting judges as personal references. Page 180 of the above linked McCormick personnel file confirms that in October 1949 he was appointed as an Administrative Officer and a Project Manager at the Economic Cooperation Administration, or ECA. Page 178 indicates he remained employed with the ECA with no break in service until assigned to the Economic Stabilization Agency in late 1950. A May 1949 letter declassified in 2003 and obtained from the CIA establishes an ongoing relationship between the CIA and Economic Cooperation Administration in which the latter provided “current economic intelligence information” to the Agency. The letter sought to increase the security classification from SECRET to TOP SECRET of the information supplied to the CIA and was authored from then-DCI and future NICAP Chairman of the Board Roscoe Hillenkoetter to an ECA administrator. Archived newspaper clippings indicate Mary Vaughan King took leadership of Counsel Services, which was contracted by the Economic Cooperation Administration in 1949 and 1950 to undertake work in Europe and China. The firm's L.G. Shreve traveled to China with what were reportedly described by Vaughan King as men on special temporary assignment. The reader will note this took place, coincidentally or otherwise, during McCormick's service as an Administrative Officer and a Project Manager with the Economic Cooperation Administration. Mary Vaughan King and Counsel Services worked with a colorful cast of characters. They included, among others, career CIA officer Col. Ulius Amoss and his wife Mary Veronica "Ron" Grogan, who was also employed in the intelligence community; the enigmatic Nicholas de Rochefort, who went on to be the subject of a 1970s lawsuit, Stanley D. Bachrack v. CIA, William Colby, in which investigative journalist Bachrack tried unsuccessfully to obtain potentially responsive records on de Rochefort from the Agency; and Thomas D. O'Keefe, a State Department man who cited serving on the Selection Board for Foreign Service Officers among his previous employment assignments. Vaughan King and Counsel Services apparently also had a working relationship with initial NICAP frontman T. Townsend Brown prior to what would prove to be their collaboration on the UFO organization. The relationship was reportedly due to Brown's dabbling in anti-gravity technology and his 1950s efforts to secure Department of Defense funding for his pursuits (see Brown's 1971 letter to Stuart Nixon, pp22-24). In a contract undertaken with NICAP and Brown in 1956, Mary Vaughan King acted as Counsel Services president and described former State Department employee Thomas O'Keefe as a senior officer of the firm, designating him to retain NICAP consultants and regional directors (see p7). Vaughan King, O'Keefe, and Brown incorporated the UFO investigation organization in October 1956 (see p3). By January 1957, the group was on its third treasurer and Maj. Donald Keyhoe, who attended initial planning sessions with a small group including Brown, was appointed director. He would remain in the position for some 13 years and was credited with persuading former DCI Hillenkoetter to take the position as board chairman. Leo McCormick's 204-page personnel file comes to a close with his September 1952 resignation, for "personal reasons," from the Economic Stabilization Agency. He was reprimanded earlier that year for what his employer described in a May 1952 letter, shown in part below, as going to the office of a Mr. Vance during business hours and committing assault and battery on him. The details of the circumstances are not clear. The Economic Stabilization Agency was authorized through the actions of President Harry S. Truman in 1950. It was responsible for price ceilings and wage controls in response to the Korean War. Truman subsequently abolished the office in April 1953, a few months after McCormick resigned. The Economic Cooperation Administration, which employed McCormick and DCI Hillenkoetter tapped for intelligence, was established in 1948. It was succeeded in 1951 by the Mutual Security Agency, a predecessor to the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID.

The FBI provided a 1983 letter attributed to then-Director William H. Webster in a Sep. 29 response to a FOIA request for records pertaining to Samisdat, an entity identified by the Bureau as a source of Nazi propaganda. Samisdat was a publishing house in Canada which distributed “Nazi propaganda material, stickers, and emblems,” according to Webster's letter addressed to Senator Jeremiah Denton. The publishing house was owned by Ernst Zundel, an anti-Semite who the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena President Jack Acuff infamously sold access to the UFO org's mailing list in 1978. In July 2022 this writer obtained some 181 pages of previously declassified FBI records responsive to Ernst Zundel during a research and FOIA collaboration with Erica Lukes. The records, posted for download and viewing, describe a German artist residing in Montreal who “refers to negroes, Jews, and Communists, in one breath as the enemy of the White Race,” according to a 1965 letter quoted in a Justice Department memo. The letter further suggested Zundel “advocates concentration camps for these enemies.” The author of the letter is redacted. “He appears to be highly intellectual,” the document continued, “he speaks easily and well, and he is persuasive. For these reasons he is extremely dangerous. He has some sort of political movement underway in Montreal. If this man should contact gullible people who's values are completely twisted, he could become a real threat...” Nazi propaganda began arriving in the mailboxes of NICAP members in 1978 and it was surmised the president of the UFO org, Jack Acuff, sold mailing lists to Zundel. NICAP members were reportedly “barraged by Nazi propaganda, always bearing computer labels saying NICAP and bearing NICAP membership codes,” according to a UFO-themed publication. The trail led to “Christoff Freidrich,” a now-known alias of Ernst Zundel, who acknowledged ownership of Samisdat. Some defended Acuff's actions, or at least argued he did not know how the mailing list would be used by the purchaser, but others were less convinced, apparently including “Freidrich” himself. “Freidrich told [NICAP representative] Dr. McIntyre that he had bought the NICAP mailing lists from Acuff two times with Acuff's knowledge where they were going,” the publication reported (see pp1-2). Sen. Denton, the recipient of FBI Dir. Webster's 1983 letter, was a conservative Alabama Republican who formed the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Security and Terrorism. The Subcommittee sought to identify and uncover circumstances of what it alleged were Soviet and KGB infiltration of left-wing activist groups. The circumstances might offer further clues about a passage contained in a 1982 letter written from Jack Acuff to Arizona Republican Sen. Barry Goldwater, who joined the NICAP Board of Governors in 1978. This writer consulted Erica Lukes during research conducted to write the 2021 nonfiction book Wayward Sons: NICAP and the IC. Lukes facilitated interactions with various sources which led to exchanges with archivist Barry Greenwood. This resulted in Greenwood helpfully providing a digital archive of NICAP material. Among the material was the 1982 letter written from Acuff to Goldwater. Acuff explained in the letter, pictured below, he was leaving NICAP, widely considered nothing more than a shell of its former self by that point in time. A “P.S.” across the bottom of the letter asked Goldwater to have a staff member route an enclosed copy of what Acuff described as “my letter to the post office” to the proper Senate Committee. Acuff added he did not know the name of the chairman, thus the request for Goldwater to see the letter was delivered (see p21). Given the date and reference to a Senate Committee, it might be a reasonable suspicion Sen. Denton's Subcommittee inquired about Acuff's knowledge of Samisdat and related issues in a similar manner as Denton requested information from FBI Dir. Webster. We might further speculate how familiar Acuff and some of his NICAP colleagues may have become with various political and intelligence agency figures populating the Beltway. In the FBI Sep. 29 response for records on Samisdat, the Bureau advised additional potentially responsive records were transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration. Expanding Frontiers Research is in the process of obtaining the additional material.

Opinions come in a wide variety of flavors. Experience tells us this is the case, as well as a quick glance around social media and the podcast circuit. How does one even begin to sort out all the conflicting proclamations and identify reasonably accurate information? For starters, some of us feel it's important to recognize whether we're observing, by definition, a stated opinion or an assertion of fact. The former may be allowed much tolerance, up to a point of irresponsibly promoting what might be considered harmful beliefs which are easily proven false. Otherwise, someone is pretty much entitled to whatever opinions they choose. It might be questioned if an individual seems disproportionately concerned about leading others to agree with their chosen opinion, but they are nonetheless entitled to believe as they wish. An assertion of fact, however, is another matter. Suggestions of the reality of certain phenomena, occurrence of supposed events, accusations leveled against people, and similar circumstances carry burdens of proof. Many people and even organizations show no interest in meeting such burdens. They are often content to do no more than post on social media and casually chat about their unverified assertions. In contrast, some others are much more rigorous in their research activities. Standards of evidence are essential to the rigorous researcher and those who wish to separate the proverbial signal from noise. Science journalist and author Sarah Scoles aptly addressed the topic when asked to provide content for a 2021 blogpost at The UFO Trail, Discerning Truth. Scoles pointed out how sources and attribution are key parts of a functional reporting process. “[L]ook at how much the piece relies on the word of its sources (turns out, people can say pretty much anything they want!), versus harder, more verifiable evidence,” Scoles wrote. “For example, 'Aliens landed on the White House roof, according to a guy who says he saw it happen' versus 'four people who described the same thing independently' versus 'security footage and genetic analysis' versus 'a declassified document.'” A challenge when failing to remain actively aware of the standards as described by Scoles often arises due to the utter volume of subpar articles, misleading statements, and outright incorrect assertions. We are regularly (and effectively, it might be added) bombarded from a host of platforms with simply wrong information. Compounding the problem is the likelihood we tend to start believing that which we hear most often. It, therefore, takes ongoing conscious decisions to remain vigilant in separating fact from fiction through embracing quality standards of evidence. Otherwise, we are at high risk of succumbing to confirmation bias and unwittingly spreading false or, at best, yet to be verified notions and concepts. When it comes to making assertions as compared to casually stating opinions, “Show, don't tell” is a good rule to both adopt and note in the work of others. Or, as recently suggested to me, the phrase is known in Latin, Ostende, non dice. Jack Brewer

It's been an exciting few weeks since our plans for launching the organization began to come to fruition. After months of detailed discussion and years of informal collaborations, co-founders Erica Lukes and Jack Brewer, along with the support of Barry Greenwood, filed EFR as a nonprofit corporation with the State of Utah. Shortly thereafter, we sought and received nonprofit status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, effective August 17, 2022. So why did we do it? The short answer is to provide a platform for presenting original research; facilitating a supportive group for those who respect standards of evidence recognized by the professional research community; and maintaining and growing an archive of historic records. A bit more detailed answer follows. There is an abundantly clear need to provide the public with both reliable research as well as resources with which to conduct such research. This is evident in virtually every aspect of Western culture, including fringe topics such as UFOs and conspiracies that overlap with politics and extremist ideologies. The harm has been apparent in aspects of life ranging from public health safety to election integrity. EFR is confident it will make significant and positive contributions. Original research will be posted using sources that include documents obtained via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and records obtained through requests submitted to regional law enforcement and government agencies. Universally recognized standards of evidence will be respected in the pursuit of providing reliable reports on a wide range of subject matter, but EFR is much more than just a publicly supported news or research site. Our organization aims to additionally facilitate the sharing of research techniques, ideas, mentoring, and moral support. This will be accomplished through activities including conducting virtual events and organizing committees with a variety of goals and objectives. A network of competent and supportive research associates will be achieved and maintained. The research process will be as emphasized as the subject of inquiry. Another tier of our organization is archiving. EFR is currently storing special collections generously contributed by UFO investigators and their families, as well as a variety of materials of interest to researchers and the public at large. These collections will be preserved and maintained for public benefit. We are pleased to report we have already been contacted by individuals and journalists, asking about our intentions and funding sources. We find these to be more than reasonable lines of inquiry and we welcome more of same. Perhaps it will be helpful to explain we are currently operating out of pocket; we do not have a specific financial sponsor. The purpose of incorporating a nonprofit was multi-fold: seek crowdsource funding for research projects which require expenses such as FOIA fees, various types of equipment, occasional travel, and miscellaneous costs while offering tax deductible donations; qualify ourselves as a media organization per the FOIA as it relates to requests, resulting appeals, and potential lawsuits; seek grant funding exclusively offered to 501(c)(3) corporations; create a platform for our research, and other benefits we envision. Thank you again for your interest in Expanding Frontiers Research. We sincerely hope you find our work meaningful and worthy of your interest. We hope to impress you soon.