Document · 1988

FBI file: Majestic 12

Also known as MJ-12, Majestic 12, Majestic-12, MJ-12 briefing document, Majic

This FBI file concerns the "Majestic 12" documents: a purported 1952 "briefing document for President-elect Eisenhower" describing a secret committee that managed recovered crashed craft, including at Roswell, which surfaced among ufologists in 1984.

The FBI investigated after copies circulated. In its own file, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations advised that "the document was fabricated… the document is completely bogus," and the Dallas field office was told to close the case. The primary-source value of the file is that official determination, not the MJ-12 text.

Not a credible source. Most researchers regard MJ-12 as a forgery. It is filed so it can be recognised and kept apart from authentic records, because it is often cited alongside them.

Sources: FBI file on Majestic 12

Facts and claims

claimed The purported MJ-12 “briefing document for President-elect Eisenhower” (dated 1952) describes a secret committee managing crash retrievals, including Roswell. It surfaced among ufologists in 1984. Source: doc-fbi-majestic-12.pdf
documented The FBI investigated after copies circulated. In its own file, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations advised that “the document was fabricated… the document is completely bogus,” and the Dallas field office was told to close the case. Source: doc-fbi-majestic-12.pdf
documented Most researchers regard MJ-12 as a forgery. It is kept here as a case study in disinformation, and because it is often cited alongside genuine records. Source: doc-fbi-majestic-12.pdf

Connected files

Books

Alien Viruses: Crashed UFOs, MJ-12, and Biowarfare (subject of)
Case MJ-12: The True Story Behind the Government's UFO Conspiracies (subject of)
Top Secret/Majic: Operation Majestic-12 and the United States Government's UFO Cover-up (subject of)

Concepts

Government UFO disinformation (example of) — AFOSI called the MJ-12 “briefing document” fabricated and “completely bogus”
Crash retrieval & reverse engineering (alleges) — The forged “briefing document” describes a secret committee managing crash retrievals, including Roswell

Organizations

Federal Bureau of Investigation (produced by)

Incidents

Roswell crash (about)

People

Richard Doty (names) — AFOSI called the MJ-12 papers “completely bogus”; Doty says the FBI cleared him and that they were “based on actual documents”
Robert M. Wood (researched by) — He argues the leaked Majestic documents and the 1954 SOM 1-01 manual are authentic
Stanton Friedman (researched by) — He defended the authenticity of some MJ-12 papers while showing others to be hoaxes

Videos

UFO Cover-Up?: Live! (1988 television special) (subject of)
Citizen Hearing 2013: Documents & Proof (discussed in)
Rick Doty with George Knapp, part 2: MJ-12, the FBI and UFO cover stories for secret aircraft (Mystery Wire, 2019 interview) (subject of)

Mentioned in videos

Mentioned in documents and records

Files

doc-fbi-majestic-12.pdf