Free Republic

The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) mismanagement of a program responsible for issuing security badges to aviation employees resulted in at least 11 individuals with criminal backgrounds obtaining badges that allowed access to secure areas of U.S. airports. An aviation employee is anyone who is allowed unescorted access to secured areas of airports. This includes airport employees in addition to TSA Officers. According to a Feb. 22 report from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG), the TSA’s mishandling of the program caused a backlog of security badges that had yet to be issued. As a result,...

More than a year after the state's antiquated sheriff system was dismantled hundreds of the badges have gone uncollected, raising concerns they could be used to illegally enter public buildings, airports, nuclear plants and other sensitive facilities. For years, the star-shaped or oblong real or honorary badges have been given to the politically connected or anyone with enough inside knowledge to obtain them. In an Oct. 11, 2000, interim report of an extended corruption inquiry into the sheriffs' system, state auditors Robert G. Jaekle and Kevin P. Johnston and state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal recommended that supervisory sheriffs collect the...