FAA Caused 'Panic And Fear' In Lack Of Drone Transparency: Monmouth Co. Sheriff

MONMOUTH COUNTY, NJ — Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden slammed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Tuesday night for what he says was their lack of transparency in November and December, when hundreds of mysterious drones were spotted nightly over New Jersey and New York.

"Residents of New Jersey were subjected to weeks of fear and uncertainty, with no clear communication or explanation at the time,” said Golden. “For the FAA to now claim this was for ‘research’ shows a complete disregard for the trust and safety of our communities."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday a number of the drones were authorized by the FAA "for research" and that "this was not the enemy." Still, there is much Americans don't know about the drones, such as:

• What was the research?
• Who owned or controlled the drones?

Multiple New Jersey lawmakers said they still have questions about the drones.

"If the drones were authorized by the FAA for research, what was that research?" Monmouth County Republican Assemblywoman Vicky Flynn asked Tuesday. "And why didn't the Biden administration just say so last month?"

“I thank President Trump for following through on his promise to provide the public with information on the numerous drones that invaded our airspace for weeks, but we still have questions,” said Bergen County Assemblyman Christopher DePhillips on Wednesday. “The federal government needs to clarify what kind of research the drones were allowed to conduct, reveal which commercial or government entities were operating the drones, and explain why local and state officials were kept in the dark."

Unexplained drone sightings over New Jersey reached such a fever pitch that on Nov. 26 the FBI launched an investigation into who was flying the drones. On Dec. 10, FBI officials testified before Congress, saying they had no idea who was responsible for the drones.

Then, just one day later, on Dec. 11, NJ State Police held an emergency briefing with town mayors across New Jersey, saying they also were concerned about the drones. At the time, State Police reported seeing drones at least six feet wide flying in swarms of 50.

Monmouth County Sheriff called on Congress to require the FAA communicate better with state and local law enforcement in the future.

The lack of transparency from the FAA caused "widespread panic and fear," said Golden. "The unexplained drone activity led to significant public concern, with residents, members of law enforcement, state, federal and local authorities scrambling for answers. It created unnecessary anxiety. It led to a waste of taxpayer resources to track and chase down suspicious reports."

Trump's press secretary also said Tuesday: "Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying drones."

However, that's exactly what the Biden White House and U.S. Department of Homeland Security said last month, in this Dec. 16 statement: "We assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones."

White House Gives Explanation For NJ Drone Mystery (Tuesday)

Many New Jersey Republican elected officials said that Dec. 11 meeting called by the State Police on the drones was "a huge waste of time" because State Police had no answers. Watch:

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