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Monday, May 20, 2013 | 8:49 p.m.

Posted: 5:44 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011

TSA says no security violations at Hartsfield-Jackson after Ch. 2 investigation

Security breach Hartsfield-Jackson
Security breach Hartsfield-Jackson

By Aaron Diamant

ATLANTA —

A Channel 2 investigation exposed a major security breach at Hartsfield-Jackson international, now the Transportation Safety Administration says its investigation is over.

The TSA said it did not find any security violations. Now security experts are more concerned than ever.

Over the last month, Channel 2's Aaron Diamant has stayed in touch with top lawmakers from across the county and went to Washington, D.C., twice, where senators grilled the TSA's top man about Channel 2's investigation demanding answers and action.

But one expert calls the TSA's response unacceptable.

"I hope the administrator will address some of the issues that were raised in WSB's report," Sen. Johnny Isakson said.

Isakson laid into TSA Administrator John Pistole earlier this month after a whistle-blower showed Channel 2 undercover video, shot inside airline caterer Gate Gourmet's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport operation showing workers piggy backing through security turnstiles.

"I can bring a gun in there if I want to, a bomb, anything," the whistle-blower said.

In addition, there were rows of unsealed catering cards ready to be loaded onto planes, even though federal law says all catering supplies "must be sealed to ensure easy visual detection of tampering."

"These raise serious questions as to whether or not TSA rules were being circumvented," said Rep. Mike Rogers from Alabama.


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Pistole promised to investigate. Two weeks later, a TSA representative sent Diamant an email saying in part, "We conducted an investigation and found no security violations. Specific findings will not be released publicly."

But the congressional investigation isn't over.

"The thing I want your viewers to know is we take this very seriously," said Rogers.

Rogers, who heads the House Subcommittee on Transportation Security, is putting renewed pressure on the Office of the Inspector General to investigate whether TSA security procedures for airline caterers are strict enough to keep us safe.

"We intend to follow this through," Rogers said.

Meantime, the TSA's response has nationally known air safety expert John Nance outraged.

"I don't care what the rules are, and I don't care what the laws are in this case, if there is a way to do that currently then they need to tighten that up," Nance said.

Nance then called out the TSA for keeping secrets.

"They're talking down to the public, and that simply is unacceptable. TSA needs to come out, face to face, with the cameras and tell us precisely why what we saw was not what it looked like," Nance said, reminding the TSA of its mission to protect.

"It was not to pat the American people on the head in a haughty manner and say "There, there, don't worry about it. You just take our explanation. We don't have to say anything more.' I'm sorry, but you do. You work for us," Nance said.

The TSA told Diamant it will brief senators on specific findings soon.

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