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Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick Joins Panel Exploring Existence Of Alien Life

DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - Former U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick and a handful of other ex-members of Congress have agreed to preside over a series of hearings later this month on the existence of extraterrestrials.

The Citizen Hearing on Disclosure is being held April 29-May 3 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Kilpatrick and the other five former members of Congress -- ex-Sen. Mike Gravel of Alaska, and former Reps. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., Darlene Hooley, D-Ore., Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., and Merrill Cook, R-Utah -- each will be paid about $20,000 and have their expenses covered.

Event spokeswoman Janet Donovan said Thursday that Kilpatrick and the other committee members weren't available for comment. Kilpatrick, a Democrat who served in Congress from 1997-2011, is the mother of ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

"I had invitations out to about 50 former members who I thought were likely candidates to participate, and Congresswoman Kilpatrick was the first one to respond," said Stephen Bassett, executive director of Bethesda, Md.-based lobbying organization Paradigm Research Group, which is hosting the hearings.

Bassett said he approached former members of Congress to interview dozens of witnesses in a style similar to when they participated in hearings on Capitol Hill.

Panel members weren't required to believe in aliens or a government cover-up, but pledged to keep an open mind.

Bassett, who started Paradigm Research Group in 1996, has been urging the government to reveal evidence of extraterrestrials engaging the human race.

TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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