Stephen Bassett (lobbyist)
Stephen Bassett | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1946 (age 78–79) |
| Alma mater | Eckerd College |
| Occupation | UFO lobbyist |
| Years active | 1996-Present |
| Organization | Paradigm Research Group |
| Television | Paradigm Shift (2024) |
| Movement | Disclosure movement |
Stephen Bassett (born 1946) is an American political activist and lobbyist. As of 2021, he was the first and only person registered to lobby about UFOs in the United States.
In the 1990s, after working as a tennis pro and business consultant, Bassett became intrigued by ufology and devoted himself to lobbying the United States Congress about UFOs. Due to the skeptical reception he's received from elected officeholders, Bassett has focused on publicity tactics and other unconventional lobbying activities. Since at least 2003, he has periodically claimed the United States Government is close to disclosing purported secrets of UFOs.
Early life and education
[edit]Stephen Bassett was born into an itinerant military family.[1] As a child, he was interested in science fiction.[1] He studied at Georgia Tech and ultimately graduated from Eckerd College.[1][2]
Career
[edit]Following university, Bassett worked as a tennis pro and freelance business consultant.[1]
UFO activism
[edit]In 1995, after reading John E. Mack's Abduction: Human Encounters with Aliens, Bassett became interested in ufology.[3][1] After volunteering with Mack for a few months, he established the pro-disclosure organization Paradigm Research Group, initially based in the attic of his aunt's house.[2]
In 1996, Bassett registered as the United States' first and only UFO lobbyist, a status he continues to hold as of 2021.[3][4] In 1998 he was the campaign manager for Frances Emma Barwood, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for Arizona Secretary of State on a platform of UFO disclosure.[5][6] Four years later, in 2002, Bassett unsuccessfully ran for Congress as an independent in Maryland's 8th congressional district.[7]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Bassett speaking at the 2025 Conscious Life Expo in Los Angeles, California, United States | |
 (via YouTube) |
As a lobbyist, Bassett was not warmly received in Washington.[8] During his first three years of lobbying, Bassett said he was only able to meet with three members of Congress.[9] Due to early resistance he faced in his work, Bassett has primarily focused on public relations tactics, speaking to journalists about UFOs and organizing publicity stunts such as a 2011 We the People petition for UFO disclosure, and a mock 2013 congressional hearing.[2]
A regular speaker at UFO conferences,[10][11][12] Bassett also appears frequently on Coast to Coast AM[13] and has been quoted on the topic of UFOs by NBC News,[14] WABC-AM,[15] and other media outlets.[16]
Bassett has indicated his work as a UFO activist is not lucrative.[1][2]
Views and predictions
[edit]Bassett has predicted the U.S. Government is on the verge of disclosing the existence of purported secret information it has about UFOs.[2] In 2003, according to the Washington Post, Bassett said George W. Bush would likely announce that space aliens "are among us" in 2003 or 2005.[17] Two years later, in July 2007, Bassett said he believed disclosure of purported government UFO secrets would occur within one year.[18] In 2010, Bassett told the Times of Malta that "disclosure is right around the corner".[19] During the presidency of Barack Obama, in 2015, Bassett stated Obama would probably be "the disclosure president".[20] In July 2023, Bassett said that President of the United States Joe Biden would confirm the existence of extraterrestrials within "two weeks" of a congressional hearing related to the David Grusch UFO whistleblower claims.[21] In 2024, Bassett claimed the U.S. was "close to the finish line of disclosure".[22]
Film and television
[edit]In 2024, Bassett starred in a six-episode short series about UFOs on the UNIFYD TV streaming network, Paradigm Shift.[23]
Personal life
[edit]Bassett is unmarried.[1][3] In 2017 he moved to London, though later returned to the United States.[2]
Electoral history
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Chris Van Hollen | 112,788 | 51.71 | ||
| Republican | Connie Morella | 103,587 | 47.49 | ||
| Unaffiliated | Stephen Bassett | 1,599 | 0.73 | ||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Terris, Ben (December 11, 2015). "UFO truthers want to make Roswell an issue for 2016. Meet their lobbyist". Washington Post. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Mullins, Luke (August 25, 2022). "UFO Lobbyist's Quest to Prove to the Government That Alien Life Exists". Washingtonian. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ a b c Vicens, AJ (March 2016). "This Is What It's Like to Be the Only Man in Washington Lobbying for UFOs". Mother Jones. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ Meyer, Theodoric (May 24, 2021). "Washington's UFO lobbyist is having a moment". Politico. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ Lopez, Larry (January 19, 1998). "Candidate Says Military Should Tell What It Knows About UFOs". The Times and Democrat. Associated Press. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ Silverman, Amy (June 11, 2025). "Spender Bender". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
- ^ a b "Representative in Congress: District 08". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ Segal, David (October 20, 1997). "Lobbyists Bring Odd Causes to Hallowed Halls of Washington". Bend Bulletin. Washington Post News Service. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ Kelly, Erin (August 29, 1999). "Political lobbyists hope the truth is out there". Courier News. Gannett News Service. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ "Contact in the Desert 2025 Speakers". contactinthedesert.com. Contact in the Desert. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
- ^ "The 2025 Exeter UFO Festival, Exeter, NH". exeterufofestival.org. Exeter UFO Festival. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
- ^ "Media Interviews and Appearance Schedule - 2023". paradigmresearchgroup.org. Paradigm Research Group. Archived from the original on June 8, 2025. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
- ^ "Stephen Bassett". coasttocoastam.com. Coast to Coast AM. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
- ^ "'Truth embargo': UFOs are suddenly all the talk in Washington". NBC News. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
- ^ "Stephen Bassett, Executive Director of the Paradigm Research Group". WABC (AM). Retrieved June 8, 2025.
- ^ "Witnesses to testify on unidentified anomalous phenomena". Scripps News Service. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
- ^ Oldenburg, Don (January 16, 2003). "The Man Who Has the Fringe Tied Up in Knots". Washington Post. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
- ^ Booth, William (July 9, 2007). "Disclosure an Alien Concept". The Morning Call. Washington Post News Service. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ Cooke, Patrick (September 19, 2010). "Getting the 'truth' about extraterrestrials out there". Times of Malta. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ Seemangal, Robin (September 16, 2015). "Meet the Lobbyist Pressuring the US Gov't to Disclose Extraterrestrial Activity". The Observer. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
- ^ Mullins, Luke (June 6, 2025). "DC's UFO Lobbyist on Alien Spacecraft Claims: "This Thing Is Getting Ready to Blow Sky-High"". Washingtonian. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
- ^ Brown, August (June 7, 2024). "Coachella for UFOs Takes the Stage". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ Haring, Bruce (February 18, 2024). "'Paradigm Shift' Series Explores The Possibility Of Extraterrestrial Presence". Deadline. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
Further reading
[edit]- Irwin, Neil (August 17, 1999). "For new UFO lobby, 'X-Files' are real". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- Seemangal, Robin (September 16, 2015). "Meet the Lobbyist Pressuring the US Gov't to Disclose Extraterrestrial Activity". The Observer. Retrieved June 6, 2025.