Earlier this year, Vice-Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee Marco Rubio (R-FL) told Ask a Pol UFO whistleblower David Grusch was vetted by the Inspector General and then referred to Congress—“This is the first one that’s gone through this process”—so he confused us this month when he told us the Senate’s waiting for the IG investigation to play out.
“That’s an Inspector General process,” Rubio exclusively tells Ask a Pol.
Then we asked if senators want to hear from Grusch, as the House Oversight Committee has.
“We usually let the Inspector General process play out first,” Rubio says, even as he says Intelligence Committee staffers have already met privately with Grusch.
Any timeline for IG investigation?
“We don't control that,” Rubio says. “They’re independent.”
We were so confused we circled back with Rubio (FOLLOW-UP starts around 2:25), and, honestly, we’re still confused by his response.
As you’ll hear in the first portion, we started the initial; interview asking whether Rubio’s gotten satisfactory responses to his questions on the Chinese spy balloon incident from the beginning of the year (a simple question we’re circling back to many senators with, because most seem to have completely moved on from the subject that consumed Washington in February).
“No,” Rubio tells us.
“What’s the holdup?”
“A million things have happened since then, so people move on…” Rubio says.
Then we ask Rubio if he’s happy with AARO being housed within the Department of Defense.
“I think there’s been some talk of whether it would be appropriately housed somewhere else. The problem is, where would you house it?” Rubio says.
Matt Laslo’s a veteran congressional correspondent, new media prof. and founder of Ask a Pol — the people-powered press corps.
Ask a Pol is a new, people-powered press corps, asking your lawmakers your questions at your US Capitol. Follow us on the socials @Ask_a_Pol (or @askpols on Insta).
EXCLUSIVE — Sen. Rubio on Senate UAP investigation: “That’s an Inspector General process"