Unlocking the Truth Embargo: A Deep Look at Steven Bassett Disclosure Efforts

I usually spend my days obsessing over isotopic ratios and microstructure analysis. As a materials scientist, I want the metal. I want the slag. I want the physical proof that sits in a hangar somewhere, defying the stress-strain curves I learned in school. But after years of researching reported UAP trace cases, I have had to accept a frustrating reality: we cannot analyze what we cannot access.

That is where the politics come in. And you cannot talk about the politics of UFOs without talking about Stephen Bassett. For nearly thirty years, he has been the guy in the cheap suit standing outside the locked door, demanding the government hand over the keys.

Most of us in this community focus on the sightings or the science. Bassett focuses on the pressure. He is the Executive Director of the Paradigm Research Group (PRG), founded in 1996. While others were hunting for landing traces, Bassett did something boring but revolutionary: he registered as a lobbyist. In fact, he is the first and only person to register specifically to lobby the U.S. government on extraterrestrial issues.

I want to take a hard look at the Steven Bassett disclosure efforts. We need to understand his playbook, his funding, and whether his recent pivot to a nonprofit status actually helps us get closer to the truth.

The Tennis Pro Who Went to Washington

Bassett was not born a D.C. insider. He was an itinerant military brat who eventually graduated from Eckerd College and worked as a tennis pro. His father, James H. Bassett, was military, which might explain Stephen's complex relationship with authority. He has said openly that the Vietnam War ruptured his faith in the government.

His path changed during a trip to Roswell. He had a realization about the secrets the government possessed. By 1996, he had moved to the D.C. area, setting up shop in Bethesda, Maryland. He understood early on that in Washington, you don't get respect without a registered lobbyist and a PAC.

His mission was specific: end the truth embargo. This term is important. It implies the truth exists and is known but is being actively blocked. He is not trying to find aliens; he is trying to force the formal acknowledgment of them by heads of state.

The Million Dollar Theater: Citizen Hearing on Disclosure

If you have been around ufology for a while, you remember 2013. This was PRG's masterpiece. The Citizen Hearing on Disclosure (CHD) was a mock congressional hearing held at the National Press Club. And when I say mock, I do not mean it was a joke. It was serious political theater.

Bassett brought in 42 witnesses from ten countries. They testified for 30 hours over five days. But the real coup was who they testified to. Bassett recruited six former members of Congress to sit at the committee tables.

These weren't actors. We are talking about people like Senator Mike Gravel and Representative Lynn Woolsey, who had a collective 80 years of tenure. They listened to testimony about nuclear tampering and pilot encounters. It was impactful. Some of those former members were genuinely impressed by the credibility of the witnesses.

But theater is expensive. The event cost between $700,000 and $1 million. It was funded largely by a movie deal for a documentary called Truth Embargo. Critics, including major outlets like Vice, pointed out that the former Congress members were paid $20,000 each to attend. To skeptics, this looked like paid participation. To Bassett, it was the cost of doing business in a town where time is money.

The goal was to simulate what Congress should be doing. Bassett later shipped DVD sets of the hearing to every congressional office. It was a massive direct mail campaign intended to force the issue.

The 2024 Pivot: Follow the Money

For decades, PRG operated in a way that maximized political flexibility. Bassett explicitly stated that PRG was not a non-profit so he could avoid restrictions on advocacy. But in 2024, that changed.

PRG reconfigured as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. The new entity, Paradigm Research Group Inc. (EIN: 99-2013608), can now accept tax-deductible donations. This is a strategic shift. Bassett believes we are entering the final phase of the truth embargo, and he needs institutional support.

However, this brings new scrutiny. As a researcher, I look for data. The data on this new nonprofit is currently sparse. Initial filings on GuideStar and CauseIQ show no reported revenue or assets yet. This is typical for a brand-new organization, but it creates a transparency gap.

The board now includes heavy hitters like Danny Sheehan and others with finance backgrounds. They have to file Form 990s, which are public. For an organization that demands government transparency, PRG's own financial transparency will be a critical test of credibility. We need to see where the money goes.

The Policy Window: 2026 to 2028

Why make these moves now? Because the environment has shifted. Bassett's relentless pressure-demanding a seat at the table-is converging with official government action.

We now have AARO (All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office) inside the DoD. We have their historical record reports, with Volume I released in March 2024. While many of us found it lacking, Volume II is coming. Bassett views these reports as trigger points.

Simultaneously, we have seen open congressional hearings with whistleblowers like David Grusch. This is exactly what Bassett's Congressional Hearing Initiative called for years ago. The National Defense Authorization Act is now a vehicle for UAP language annually.

Even legislative amendments like the UAP Disclosure Act are putting the concept of a "review board" on the table. Bassett sees the window between 2026 and 2028 as the time when the dam finally breaks.

Critiques and Credibility

It is important to stay grounded. Bassett is an optimist, sometimes to a fault. He has a history of predicting imminent disclosure that does not materialize. In 2016, he was sure the election would bring the truth. It didn't happen. Critics call this a pattern of failed prophecy.

He also faces competition in the advocacy space. You have Steven Greer and the Disclosure Project, pushing a more consciousness-based angle with CE-5 protocols. You have To The Stars focusing on media and metamaterials. Then there are the scientific groups like the Galileo Project and SCU (Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies) doing the hard data work.

Bassett's niche is pure politics. He doesn't investigate sightings like MUFON. He lobbies. And he is good at keeping the conversation alive in Washington.

What We Can Do

So, where does this leave us? The truth embargo might be cracking, but it hasn't fallen. Bassett has recently been involved with the Hollywood Disclosure Alliance to get the message into entertainment media. He is attacking the problem from every angle.

For those of us who want the data, we should support efforts that demand transparency. Whether you donate to PRG or write to your congressional representatives, the pressure matters. We also need to preserve the history. The footage from the Citizen Hearing is a historical record of what people were willing to say under oath.

I may not agree with every tactic, and I certainly wish we had more hard materials to study right now. But I respect the tenacity. Bassett has been shouting at the gates for thirty years. Maybe, just maybe, someone inside is finally listening.