[Update at 10:24 p.m. ET: TSA Spokesperson Bruce Anderson told The Intercept Wednesday night that a third air marshal was involved. “Two of the employees involved have been placed on an indefinite suspension without pay, and the third employee has resigned from the agency,” he wrote in an e-mail.]
Two federal air marshals have been suspended without pay after allegedly using their government phones to film and share their sex acts with a prostitute while on assignment in Europe, The Intercept has learned.
Four employees based in different locations and divisions within the Transportation Security Administration told The Intercept that supervisors throughout the Federal Air Marshal Service and its parent agency, TSA, were casually briefing staff about the incident on Wednesday in anticipation of the news becoming public. None of these employees were authorized to speak to the media because the investigation by TSA’s Office of Inspections and Office of Professional Responsibility is ongoing, and a criminal investigation is considered likely.
Congressional sources confirmed that an incident involving two air marshals who filmed sex acts on a government phone is expected to be raised during a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing on personnel failures within the Federal Air Marshal Service scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
The two air marshals, based in Chicago, allegedly used their government-issued phones to record their own sexual encounters with a prostitute and then shared them using their personal email accounts, which they had connected to their work phones, according to TSA, government and law enforcement sources.
On Wednesday afternoon, government sources close to the investigation confirmed that both air marshals had been suspended without pay while the investigation continues.
“TSA demands the highest standards of integrity and professionalism from its employees. When criminal behavior or misconduct is substantiated, TSA holds its employees appropriately accountable,” said TSA spokesman Mike England.
“This is an ongoing investigation and it would not be appropriate to discuss the specifics of these allegations.”
The Federal Air Marshal Service and the Transportation and Security Administration have been the subject of repeated embarrassing security and personnel failures.
On Thursday, Federal Air Marshal Service director Roderick Allison and the head of TSA’s Office of Professional Responsibility, Heather Book, will testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform at a hearing expected to focus on these failures.
According to the committee’s website the purpose of the 2 p.m. hearing Thursday is:
To examine personnel actions taken at the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS) to address improper behavior, as well as managerial decisions to prevent further misconduct.
Those improper behaviors are also expected to include a scheme that was run out of TSA’s Mission Operations Center that involved some air marshals agreeing to have sex with someone in charge of scheduling missions in order to get placed on flights to destinations of their choosing.
The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee is separately investigating other aspects of the Federal Air Marshals Service.
Why not explain what was supposed to be illegal in all this?
People are so touchy and prudish nowadays. Who doesn’t want to make porno films instead of having to work at your crappy job?
Why should any employee not just security get in trouble for doing something illegal and on the clock instead of what they’re actually being paid to do? (Sorry your plane was hijacked, sorry your grocery store was closed, but you know, sex.)
Why should anyone be bothered by using a phone your employer gives you to film yourself breaking a law (why oh why doesn’t anybody care that you don’t think it should be illegal?) while you’re supposed to be working for them and send it in a private email for some creepy share? What kind of news is this? TSA: Don’t serve the people, serve yourself?
“What began as an internal investigation into allegations of harassment and threats stemming from a spat between ex-lovers has expanded into a criminal inquiry focused on the Federal Air Marshal Service’s dispatch hub in Herndon, Virginia. More than 60 federal employees are under scrutiny as investigators look into whether flights considered at risk of hijacking or a terrorist attack were left without marshals on board, sources with knowledge of the investigation told Reveal.”
(from link found in the “Federal Air Marshals under Investigation for filming Sex With a Prostitute While on Duty” article on the Intercept
Nothing much will happen. “Personal responsibility” is for the poor and feeble only. When the DEA got caught with prostitutes in South America recently, the MSM proclaimed that Congress had “taught the DEA a lesson”, by cutting it’s budget. But this budget cut was less than 1%. The MSM didn’t mention that fact. The whole thing was a show, and as usual our MSM played along with full obedience.
Really who cares? If dudes can marry dudes why cant we legally go to a prostitute?
Now their careers are really up in the air.
Private servers. How many times does Hillary have to explain this to you?
The dummies! They’re supposed to film their sex escapades with prostitutes on their OWN phones, not the official government ones!
There is a gangrenous rot permeating our government, not least our “security services”. It is ignorance and arrogance and lack of professionalism and corruption and complacence and cynicism and *cruelty* on such a monumental scale that it is difficult to see a way out.
Jacob Appelbaum suggests infiltration. Since the security industry is expanding wildly, now is the time for bright young people with a deep sense of ethics and an understanding of what is going on and what is at stake to join up. Make a ten- or twenty-year commitment to watch and learn and gather information. Patience. Patience. Then whistle-blow them to smithereens!
Months ago, I made a comment about infiltration in response to a Guardian article about one of the alphabet agencies’ push to recruit young people. My comment was censored out–never made it into the comments section. It didn’t even warrant a “This comment did not comply with our standards” response. So now we know–this is what threatens them most. INFILTRATE!
this moronic criminal organisation needs to be shut down. It is a jobs program and a failure. A welfare to work program at its worse. The salaries are 4x what they would make in the private sector and they get guvment bennies fo life. A modern day version of a Great Society program………Heyyyy Word up? I’m ret t’ go!
Your tax dollars at work. Let’s hear it for everyone doing their fair share.
Shucks, if Obama’s secret service can do it why not air marshals ???
Equality before the law for all. And the air marshals didn’t have to go south of the border on Air Force 1 either ! Cheaper this way.
Some people are too stupid and cheap for their own good.
The only transgression here was using government-issued phones for personal business, although I bet personal phone calls and emails occur all the time without punishment. I’m starting to see Hillary’s point…
Anyway, as mentioned by another commentator (though not by the author of the article) there’s a good chance that prostitution is legal where this occurred
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2015/sep/15/laws-against-sex-workers-can-a-map-help-to-move-the-discussion-forward
and as someone else mentioned, making a video of the sex and that it found distribution (even if only internal to the agency) makes it pornography which means it was most definitely legal.
But we love to tsk-tsk… Fight slut-shaming and john-shaming!
https://medium.com/vantage/diary-of-a-sex-tourist-2d73817d23df
Testosterone poisoning strikes again!
(Then again, it is the TSA we’re talking about here, a criminal, incompetent, grotesque agency that abuses people with impunity.)
You got that right, Lisa. How likely are female TSA agents to do something like this? Can it happen? Of course. Is it likely? No. We need A LOT more women calling the shots in this world.
since there aren’t really any terrorist trying to kill us, the TSA and air marshalls are bored to death.
time to end both programs, for good.
These pervs are from the same organization that regularly assaults my 80 year mother (all of 4’10”) as if she were the Mother of the Taliban. Some day we are going to get to re-inject some sanity into that travesty of a bureaucracy.
They see no reason why the secret service should be the only ones having fun when they are overseas doing the same thing…
The air marshals are being prosecuted for porn activities (no national security issue) while Hilabeans tries to lie her way to the White House, clearly with national security implications. Surprised? NOT!
Secret Service was involved in a similar incident. Anybody seeing a pattern here that points to a need to revise criteria for selecting Federal agents? Seems they’re are increasingly cut from the Frat Boy cloth and that is not a good thing.
Consider the pattern under the pattern, not all frat boys are alike. Consider the qualities of sociopaths/psychopaths/Asocial personality disordered who lack conscience, easily betray, are thrill seekers, lie easy, are impulsive, callous, manipulative, etc., etc. Law enforcement officials are in the top 10 according to Forbes and others for professions attracting these types. They used to screen them out, not so much anymore. Time to screen them out again, eh? After all, these traits also make them a great security risk. More of a liability, than an asset. They need to screen out these types for any type of law enforcement; however they tend to attract them with the power, control and all too easy and tempting potential to abuse their position.
Pictures or it didn’t happen.
“Fly the friendly skies . . . “
Pictures Please!
Why? You know they’re black already
Please explain the comment “You know they’re black already”.
Perhaps you misspelled and intended to write “back” instead of the suggestive racist word “black” within that context…Is that remotely possible?
Uh…probably not….
Maybe Jo meant “chartreuse” and mistyped?
Aside from the joy of prurient sexual scandal mongering, what is the point of broadcasting this momentous issue far and wide?
Maybe because we’re paying these bozos, to the tune of $8 billion a year (the Tits & Ass Agency’s budget).
When the Congressional “oversight” hearing is held it’s reassuring to know one of those sitting in judgment will be Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez, the guy who was caught hammering under-age girls in the Dominican Republic.
Nothing wrong with a little boom boom. The problem is we have federal employees stupid enough to film it in on their work phone.
And their names are?? One reason Americans are so angry at their “government” is all the double standards. Any non-gov’t employee who commits a crime is identified, but if the perp is a gov’t “worker” he remains anonymous. We the People have been paying these perverts’ salaries and you can’t even tell us their names??
where there is no law scummy people make there own it’s a truth atheists live by it to hide their conscious
Yeah, and who knew Chelsea Clinton was that hard up for cash?
Eeeeeewwwwwwww!
At least they’re screwing someone besides Americans.
They shared the vids? Really? So they sent the vids to their supervisor? Or maybe they sent them out via carbon copy to the entire cadre of fame? Is that what they did? BS- no FAM is that stupid, how were these guys nailed? That is the story Jana, THAT is the story.
And you know this how? They may have believed they had protected insider status. Perhaps they got caught up in an interagency power struggle, or maybe a disgruntled colleague forwarded their e-mails as an act of revenge. People tend not to think of possible consequences for their actions. It’s unwise to underestimate the power of human stupidity.
Benito, bingo!
“Deep” doesn’t seem to understand human nature. History is filled with the tales of idiots drunk on power (and too much testosterone) doing stupid sch1t (sorry for the unorthodox spelling; can’t remember how much nannying software is in force here).
Who cares how they got caught? You seem to be implying that if the NSA or whoever was illegally “spying” on them, that’s a problem. And it would be, if these are private citizens who understand and support the 4th Amendment. But insofar as they are federal marshals we can assume they support the police state, including illegal, warrantless searches. So in this case they are just getting what they deserved, or, to put it another way, they are being hoist by their own, um, petard.
There is no right to privacy with an employer supplied phone. They pay the data bill. They get to see the data.
huh. i used to think i was relatively “freaky”, but the thought of filming sex with a prostitute on my work phone and then sharing with coworkers is very out there. these guys need adult supervision.
The fams Shared them using their personal accounts on their goverment issued phone? Really? So are we to assume that every government phone’s email account, personal or not, is monitored for porn? And Hillary’s emails are nowhere to be found?
I’m sure Eric Holder, the NSA, etc. will be happy to turn over Shrillary’s e-mails. Just ask them.
You’re a little late – I left months ago!!
Is is not shocking or surprising. This is now typical of our government security personnel. We used to put our federal law enforcement — secret service, FBI and even astronauts on a pedestal. They were the best of the best. Now they behave like any other moron — they refuse to grow up. Start firing this idiots quickly.
they will likely be promoted, if my past experiences with co”workers” is any indicator…..
It’s TSA, where federal government corruption and misfeasance is the norm.
Jana, HELLO!!!!! How did this come out? How was this discovered? Weak weak reporting
If you pay a prostitute for sex and then film the act, doesn’t that in essence just make it a porno scene?
yeah, i think so…
The sole violation is that government phones were used to film the act and nothing else? REALLY? Who gives a cr*p! If one of them had had an explicit conversation (phone sex) with a lover on their “government issued phone” and recorded it, would that justify an investigation as well? This is silly! The feds will spend lots of time and money investigating this nonsense while all around the world radical jihadist are thinking about ways to kill us. Every moment the TSA spends not preventing terrorism is unjustifiable waste.
“Every moment the TSA spends not preventing terrorism is unjustifiable waste.”
Exactly. Every minute the TSA exists is unjustifiable waste, since the TSA doesn’t do sch1t to prevent terrorism.
Lawlessness Breeds Lawlessness, setting an example of Lawless behavior has driven America further into a moralless toilet. These guys took their example of filthy lawless behavior from tbe top. If Obama can promote lawless behavior, so can they seems to be the message.
LMAO:TSA demands the highest standards of integrity and professionalism from its employees. When criminal behavior or misconduct is substantiated, TSA holds its employees appropriately accountable,” said TSA spokesman Mike England.
TSA is the BIGGEST JOKE the government ever turned into another corrupt incompetent agency of our sleazy USA. Guess they get their integrity from the MONSTER who is RESPONSIBLE for this corruption. George Bush, Jr. gets the Nobel Prize for starting the instability in the world, and your butt wiper Obama got the Peace prize for licking the corporate and military boots. These two men get to take ALL the CREDIT for CREATING ISIS! They started this mess, let them own it. Not my war, not my government. RENEGADE GOVERNMENT, where all involved should be in their prisons they created to put us that rebel against them.
Miss V: If I could, if that function existed here, I would upvote you a hundred times.
The TSA is a criminal agency. And its existence is entirely appropriate: it was created by one White House criminal and is being supported and emboldened by another. Not to mention by millions of credulous Americans who think A Terrorist Is Hiding Around Every Corner.
Just one more is a series of “anything goes, no rules, all the world is upside down, no discipline administration! Mr O’Bama better have a whole suitcase of Pardons in his pocket before he leaves, there is no time limit for the prosecution of traitors!
Legalize prostitution already.
Glad to know we still got some men around who are interested in women. It was men and women wasn’t it?
Actually one was a man who transgendered into a woman, and the other is a woman who transgendered into a man. So yes, I think we’re good there.
Pix or it didn’t happen. Even if it didn’t, pix anyhow.
Pix with good angles and lighting.
I am shocked! Shocked, I tell you…
99% chance that in Europe this prostitution and video was Legal!!!! Still not wise to post do what they did. As air marshals, under category of federally regulated transportation employees the term,”On Duty”, does not mean they were at work or working. Compared to the criminal political bosses they have in D.C. this is nothing. Leave them alone
are you high right now? you missed the whole point. do everyone a favor and don’t vote. ever.
Just more evidence of our cultural decline. For decades, the American family unit has been under heavy fire from the liberal left-wing in this country. This, and incidents like it, are evidence of that!
What do you expect from a group that touts it’s own “Diversity”?
Well now we know it’s not ok to take lude photos on a government phone, but it’s ok to send classified emails on a government server. Perhaps if they had been higher on the liberal food chain, they woulda got away with it. Our government and it’s workers have lost total control thanks to the lawlessness of this administration. The media is ALWAYS on thier side and as long as the public continues to believe lie after lie, they can literally do whatever they want. Seriously, why was this even an issue? Did they say no to the wrong person? Or did someone find out they voted Republican before?
just another waste of taxpayers money. If we have such a great front line security at airports, reinforced cockpit doors and many pilots armed, why the hell do we need FAMS?
In case you haven’t noticed, it’s largely a gov’t “jobs” program, largely for minorities. I fly out of National and Dulles a lot, and it’s always easy to pick out the marshals, even before you get on the plane. Typically a big black guy in a suit, traveling alone, no bags, or a real dumb looking white guy. Then they get on board, sit in a first class, thus depriving the airline of a few thousand bucks while getting free food and drinks. And of course, since it’s a gov’t “job,” they don’t do much, except fly around the world and bang whores at someone else’s expense. Worst part is, If I can pick these guys out a mile away, can’t the terrorists do it too?
What else would you expect from a federal worker.
The time to make massive cuts in the federal workforce has long since passed.
Why the faux outrage? Why is this considered newsworthy?
“On duty” would have meant to me that this happened on an aircraft or in an airport. The parties involved obviously weren’t “on duty”.
What one does with his privates should remain private, as long as no one gets hurt. There is no indication of this.
The use of an official phone is rather daft, but really nothing more than a misdemeanor.
The real scandal is the sheer uselessness of the job of a so-called air marshal. These guys are little more than human ballast.
Incredible for the sheer debauchery of Your reaction. Private? No such thing when you’re a federal gov’t law enforcement employee, or those who possess security clearances. You private life is the center of granting and maintaining security clearances, like TSA Air Marshall swine.
FAMS are on duty anytime they are in travel status. And this type of activity is a direct threat to their mission which you know nothing about.
Cat Food is absolutely correct. It is not as though they were doing this while on an aircraft. And, though they were technically on duty, the fact is that while they are abroad and not aboard the aircraft they have no authority to do anything.
I agree they should be fired, but only because they showed a remarkable lack of judgement in taking and sharing the pictures. As employees of the National Security State, they should have known that anything done with a phone is insecure.
uh, no , completely incorrect. aboad an aircraft has nothing to do with anything. you have apparently zero knowledge of government rules & regulations.
Actually, what I said, and what Cat Food said, is correct. Duty status has nothing to do with it. For instance, if you had been in the military like I once was, and got sent somewhere TAD, then you would know that bringing a bottle of Scotch to a meeting is a career limiting move, but after the meeting you can drink to your heart’s content at the O Club. After leaving the military, I worked frequently as a government contractor. When on travel, I was technically on the job, but nobody in their right mind would have expected me to work 24/7.
This story, like the story of the Secret Service misdeeds, demonstrates nothing but the poor judgement of the people chosen to protect us. Personally, I do not care if the Air Marshals spend all their off duty time in brothels – better that than to come aboard still drunk or high.
enhanced patdown
Do you have to be a moron to work with the TSA or is it optional? Stunned at the stupidity coming of of that agency on a regular basis.
Yes, you must be a moron, and a pervert, and of course unable to get a worthwhile private sector job. Thin about it: Would YOU want that job?
Maybe he was giving the lady an “enhanced screening” pat down?
Cut em a break…how boring a job. They should rotate them around the airports.
He just wanted to beef up his CV for a job with the Secret Service in the new Clinton White House.
Video, or it didn’t happen.
Who cares? They were having sex off duty and filmed it. And the big scandal is what?
Exactly. You gotta wonder WHY it came out. Who did they upset or say no to? Definitely more to this story than two horny dudes.
Check out the bosses college years !
These skills are be required to be a federal employee, Secret Service also has the same skills, except they like hard liquor and underage hookers.
I can’t object. These are two TSA agents who at the time WERE NOT scanning or feeling up passengers.
The air marshalls were black. The prostitute was white. Do a better job if you want to remain an investigative-journalist.
Did you have anything you wanted to add?
I know for a fact that neither FAM in question is black. Both men are white.
Really idiot?! If you know as “fact”, then you were present…AND….wait for it…an accessory at least. Right?!
Lol. No, I’m definitely not an accessory. I actually personally know everyone involved, and have known them for years. I don’t work there, but I know a good majority of the employees. Most of them are great and very ethical. But there are dirty guys in EVERY job position. Not just FAMs.
ethical? I’m pretty sure they also “produce” movies with flight attendants..
these people working for our country need to be purged.
I am sickened by stories like this. People like this should not be on the public payroll. and ANY politician who does this or similar acts need to be in prison for violating public trust.
It is strange that whenever one’s job is a complete waste of time, there is nothing taken more amiss than to waste time while doing it.
Ms. Winters was in possession of a redacted OSC report that provided evidence Roderick Allison (then Chief Security Officer) and FAM Executive Patrick Sullivan violated policy by taking a female subordinate to an interpol conference in Brazil because she was having an affair with Mr. Sullivan. She was granted country clearance through DHS and the taxpayers paid her tab for the trip. As usual practice, Sullivan jumped agencies so OIG couldn’t investigate or force him to testify. Ironically he went to EPA OIG. The corrupt morality starts at the top- nothing changes with luke warm journalism. The taxpayers are an unlimited source of cash for corrupt officials. These men are laughing at congressional committees because they just don’t get it.
That is the problem with federal workers, they get too used to getting their paychecks on time, and liberal time off policy, as well as sick pay. Where can I apply for these two upcoming vacancies, that is, as long as the American Federation of Government Employees turn their heads on this disgusting act.
The largest threat to our liberty is the federal government. When tyranny comes to your door it will be in uniform.
On a government phone? Gee, even Hillary was smart enough to set up her own server… and then to obstruct justice by wiping it clean of it’s multitude of pieces of damning evidence. If Hillary were to have a heart attack tonight, she would go straight to one of the hottest parts of Hell.
The gift that keeps on giving from former President Bush…
Dissolve the TSA (and Homeland while we’re at it)- it’s almost 15 years overdue. Send this bottom of the barrel crew back to their front porches and the seedy bars from where they came.
Set federal standards but have operations completely privatized.
It was Bill and Hillary double tagging the pro.
Chill, god made us all sex addicts. Next thing you know just thinking about sex will be some sort of crime.
These types of behavior is normal for Air Marshals overseas. It’s just another day in the troubled Air Marshal Service. As usual the director for the Air Marshal Service will go on the Hill and lie by saying that this is an isolated incident.
once the federal government is abolished, they can be arrested just like everyone else
This explains why HRC insisted on using her own cell phone and email server
I’m of the opinion that this kind of behavior certifies that even the TSA doesn’t hold its own mission in esteem. This is what happens when some bureaucracy outlives its function. This is what happens when an agency, and its employees, think they are untouchable. This is evidence of complacency. And, if the TSA’s own employees are complacent, that’s a signal to the rest of us that money spent at their behest would be best directed elsewhere. Damned near anywhere else.
I see the word “underage” in the URL but not the article.
I suspect the next session of the House Committee on Oversight will be very well attended. It is nice to know that one branch of the security state is keeping watch on another branch. This is the system of checks and balances for which the US is justly famous.
Well, it does bring a new meaning to “oversight,” Duce. Of course, the TSA can testify that they do intimate searches in airport concourses as a matter of course anyway, and this perhaps was simply a more thorough search. You’d think, however, they wouldn’t be commingling their gov’t and personal electronic media (phones, e-mails, &c.) unless they felt either (1) impunity or (2) that the agency doesn’t mind this kind of internal chatter. And, besides, it’s not like they posted it to YouTube, at least not so far.