Investigation Into Abuse of The USA Patriot Act
Immediately after FAM MacLean made this disclosure, TSA managers began an unauthorized investigation to ferret-out him and anyone else involved. TSA managers were informing Federal Air Marshal employees that the USA Patriot Act was being enacted to find who made the disclosure. Senator Barbara Boxer praised the air marshals who disclosed the plan to remove Federal Air Marshals from nonstop, long distance flights:
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I want to thank the air marshals who came forward and told the truth about what was going on within their agency and bringing this issue into the spotlight... because I believe that cutting air marshals was clearly in the mix of budgetary cuts being considered. |
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U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney of New York also expressed her support for the air marshals who came forward, and called for an investigation into the retaliatory witch-hunt:
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We saw reports that the Transportation Security Administration planned to remove air marshals from a number of high-threat flights to save on hotel costs. I immediately criticized the move and the decision was reversed in the midst of a firestorm of criticism. |
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More than a year after the disclosure, the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General, Clark Kent Ervin confirmed that TSA and FAMS managers did in fact threaten air marshals:
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Five air marshals, from two field offices, said they were threatened with prosecution for disclosing information to the press or public. They said their supervisors’ threats included being led away in handcuffs, being fired and prosecuted, or being subjected to polygraph exams if the leaks continued. |
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Right after Mr. Ervin issued his report on Robert MacLean's disclosure, he was forced out of his position by the White House.
Weeks after MacLean made the disclosure, he stopped being anonymous and exposed himself to retaliation from TSA and FAMS management by founding the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association's Federal Air Marshal Service agency chapter and then accepting the position of Executive Vice President.
Read more about this topic: Robert Mac Lean
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“Liberty is the air that we Americans breathe. Our Government is based on the belief that a people can be both strong and free. That civilized men need no restraint but that imposed by themselves against the abuse of freedom.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)
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