Bowling Green Today

U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has sent a letter to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator David P. Pekoske requesting information related to the management of watchlists and screening procedures by TSA. This request follows recent disclosures from whistleblowers, which raise concerns that mechanisms in the TSA Quiet Skies program may have been improperly used to target individuals based on their political views and participation in constitutionally protected activities, rather than legitimate security threats.

As Ranking Member Paul notes in the letter, “Among the troubling allegations is the claim that former U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard was subjected to heightened surveillance after she was added to the Quiet Skies list following her public criticism of the current administration. In an equally concerning case, a Federal Air Marshal disclosed that his wife was labeled a ‘domestic terrorist’ and subjected to Special Mission Coverage (SMC) after attending a political rally in Washington, D.C.”

Paul’s letter highlights that despite physical limitations making it impossible for her to engage in alleged activities and with no criminal charges against her, TSA has kept this individual on a watchlist for more than three years. The whistleblower disclosed that TSA inaccurately recorded his wife—who has a documented mobility disability—as having unlawfully entered the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

“These allegations echo concerns highlighted in a previous report by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), which identified critical deficiencies in TSA’s management of the Quiet Skies program,” said Paul.

Dr. Paul has requested unredacted copies of all documents, guidelines, data, and internal communications related to the management of watchlists and screening procedures in the Quiet Skies program.

The Air Marshal National Council (AMNC) and Empower Oversight support Dr. Paul’s letter. Sonya LaBosco, Executive Director of AMNC stated, “The Air Marshal National Council (AMNC) strongly supports Ranking Member Rand Paul’s aggressive oversight and letter demanding answers from TSA Administrator Pekoske.” Tristan Leavitt, President of Empower Oversight added, “We are grateful to Dr. Paul for taking seriously the protected disclosures from the Air Marshal whistleblowers we represent.”

Paul's letter calls for detailed information by September 4, 2024.