TSA Subpoenas Bloggers For Source of Leaked Security Memo

MSNBC posted an Associated Press story Wednesday evening about the efforts of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to figure out who leaked their “Security Memo” in response to the December 25th attempted terror attack on a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. From the report:

The Transportation Security Administration is going after bloggers who wrote about a directive to increase security after the incident.

TSA special agents served subpoenas to travel bloggers Steve Frischling and Chris Elliott, demanding that they reveal who leaked the security directive to them. The government says the directive was not supposed to be disclosed to the public.

Frischling said he met with two TSA special agents Tuesday night at his Connecticut home for about three hours and again on Wednesday morning when he was forced to hand over his lap top computer. Frischling said the agents threatened to interfere with his contract to write a blog for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines if he didn’t cooperate and provide the name of the person who leaked the memo.

Initially I was a bit concerned at the effort by a government agency to gain access to confidential media sources. However, after closer review I feel a little bit more comfortable. The fact that the agents served subpoenas means that at least TSA followed the law and got a judge to issue an order rather than ignoring the courts all together.

I can understand a national security and public safety issues with the unauthorized release of information regarding security enhancements after an attempted terrorist attack.

1 Comment

  1. Only in America is airport security so lax. Only in America do they wait for an “incident” (meaning a thwarted terrorist attack)to enhance security. Only in America do they go after the whistle-blower. God Help Us.

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