Former Maryland Gov. Hogan calls for action from government after seeing drones above his home
BALTIMORE -- Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan is calling on the federal government to take action after he shared a video of what he said were drones flying above his Anne Arundel County home.
It comes as mysterious drone sightings continue to baffle law enforcement and government officials in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Additional sightings have also been reported in Maryland.
On Friday, Hogan posted a video of the drones to social media, saying dozens of them appeared above his home in Davidsonville. The drones were active for about 45 minutes, Hogan said.
"I do not know if this increasing activity over our skies is a threat to public safety or national security," Hogan said. "But the public is growing increasingly concerned and frustrated with the complete lack of transparency and the dismissive attitude of the federal government."
"The government has the ability to track these from their point of origin but has mounted a negligent response," he added.
Leaders Push for Answers
Hogan is not the first to demand answers about the drone sightings.
On Friday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy sent a letter to President Biden asking for help from the federal government after clusters of drones were seen over critical infrastructure such as military bases.
"While I am sincerely grateful for your administration's leadership in addressing this concerning issue, it has become apparent that more resources are needed to fully understand what is behind this activity," Murphy wrote.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul also posted to social media, saying the state is investigating the drones along with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Rep. Andy Harris also posted on social media to address drone sightings in Maryland.
"We need transparency now from the White House to find out if these drones are a threat to our national security and if they are, we need to take proper corrective action immediately," he said.
Some lawmakers have called for the drones to be shot down and analyzed, but others have voiced concern over falling debris endangering highly populated areas.
Leaders in D.C. called the sightings a potential safety risk and pushed for answers during a briefing this week.
On Thursday, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York sent a letter to the DHS, FBI and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requesting a briefing on how the agencies are working to identify the drones.
Government Responds
Earlier this week, an FBI official told Congress that the agency has received over 3,000 tips from the public about the drones, which are mostly seen at night.
The White House said many of the reported sightings may have been planes mistaken for drones.
"We have no evidence, at this time, that reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus," said White House national security spokesperson John Kirby.
On Wednesday, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said an initial assessment determined that the drones are not related to "a foreign adversary or a foreign entity."
After the assessment, the Pentagon said it is leaving investigations to local law enforcement agencies and the FBI.
The FAA said it published two temporary flight restrictions Thursday prohibiting drone flights over Picatinny Arsenal Military Base and Trump National Golf Club Bedminster at the request of federal partners.
