Five Transportation Security Administration employees have been placed on administrative leave since it was discovered that sensitive guidelines about airport passenger screening were posted on the Internet.
The move was disclosed as senators questioned administration officials Wednesday about the second embarrassing security flap at the Homeland Security Department in as many weeks. The Secret Service, also part of the sprawling department, is investigating how a couple of would-be reality TV stars were able to get into a White House state dinner without an invitation.
Assistant Homeland Security secretary David Heyman told senators Wednesday that a full investigation into the Internet security lapse is under way and the TSA employees have been taken off duty pending the results of that probe. He did not say how many employees were put on leave. A TSA official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation said five employees were placed on administrative leave Tuesday.
The Homeland Security Department has also stopped posting documents with security information either in full or in part on the Internet until the TSA review is complete, Heyman told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told a separate hearing by the Senate Judiciary committee Wednesday that the department is taking steps to make sure this never happens again, and the department’s inspector general is conducting its own investigation.
Napolitano added, however, that “the traveling public was not at risk.”
The passenger screening document was improperly on the Internet in a way that could offer insight into how to sidestep security.
“Even what appeared to be an innocent posting to help federal contractors can have serious consequences for our security,” Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Wednesday.
Heyman said he did not know who at TSA signed off on the document going on the Web.
The TSA removed the document…