In a report titled, “TSA probe of whistleblowers criticized,” Star-Ledger staff writer Ron Marisco reports that Transportation Security Administration employees have been threatened with possible lie detector “tests” in an attempt to identify and punish a whistleblower. Excerpt:
New Jersey’s senior U.S. senator and two congressmen yesterday rebuked federal officials for trying to ferret out whistle-blowers at Newark Liberty International instead of fixing the airport’s recurring security problems.
The legislators were responding to reports that internal affairs agents with the U.S. Transportation and Security Administration are investigating airport employees they believe may have leaked confidential reports about security breakdowns to the press.
“They ought to be worried about fixing the thing … and protecting the public,” said U.S. Sen. Jon Corzine (D-N.J.) of TSA officials. “And (spend) a lot less time trying to find people who think we can do a better job. … If anyone gets exposed, I will stand up for them.”
Some airport TSA employees have been threatened with lie-detector tests and possible loss of their jobs and jail time, according to an individual familiar with the probe.
Reps. Robert Menendez (D-13th Dist.) and William Pascrell (D-8th Dist.) echoed Corzine’s statements, promising to enforce U.S. laws protecting individuals who expose governmental problems and wrongdoing.
“This is not Red China. This is the United States,” said Pascrell. “You’re going to have a plethora of whistle-blowers by the time we’re done. We’ve got to know what’s going on because we’re not getting the truth from management.”
Menendez and Pascrell are members of the House aviation subcommittee, which oversees the TSA.
Menendez said he would call Marcus Arroyo, the TSA’s federal security director at Newark Airport, to ascertain for himself the extent of the probe.
“To use TSA resources for that, rather than making the nation safer, is outrageous — if that’s the case,” said Menendez.
TSA officials declined to comment on the probe.