Candidate For TSA Top Job Withdraws From Consideration

  • Jan 21, 2010

Erroll Southers, President Obama’s nominee to head the Transportation Security Administration, has withdrawn from consideration just days after a group of GOP senators raised concerns about Southers’ recent disclosures regarding his censure by the FBI 20 years ago.

Southers, former FBI, most recently served as assistant chief of the Los Angeles Airport police force. Nominated to run the TSA in September, his confirmation was delayed by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who initially sought to examine whether Southers would seek to unionize the TSA workers.

During a nomination hearing in November 2009, Southers answered questions about the FBI censure related to his misuse of access to a confidential database to obtain information on his ex-wife’s boyfriend. However, after the Senate Homeland Security Committee approved the nomination on Nov. 19, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said there were discrepancies between Southers’ account and the official FBI letter of censure. Southers submitted additional testimony to the committee about the censure.

Republican opposition to Southers’ nomination intensified after the Washington Post reported that Southers may have given the White House and Congress misleading information about the FBI incident.

On Jan. 6, DeMint and six other GOP senators expressed serious reservations about Southers’ appointment and asked for more details about the FBI’s and Southers’ actions related to the censure, as well as on the White House’s vetting process.

"The White House never responded to requests for more information relating to Mr. Southers false testimony to Congress and his censure by the FBI for improperly accessing files,” DeMint said in a statement released today. “And Mr. Southers was never forthcoming about his intentions to give union bosses veto power over security decisions at our airports.”

In a statement released by the White House, Southers accused his critics of being motivated by partisan politics.

It is apparent that this path has been obstructed by political ideology," Southers said in the statement. "My nomination has become a lightning rod for those who have chosen to push a political agenda at the risk of the safety and security of the American people. This partisan climate is unacceptable and I refuse to allow myself to remain part of their dialogue."

TSA has been under pressure to boost security since the Christmas Day airplane terrorist bombing attempt in Detroit. The agency is part of the Homeland Security Department, managing security at airports, ports and other transportation facilities. TSA recently was in hot water over accidental release of portions of its confidential security policies.

Featured

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

  • AI Used as Part of Sophisticated Espionage Campaign

    A cybersecurity inflection point has been reached in which AI models has become genuinely useful in cybersecurity operation. But to no surprise, they can used for both good works and ill will. Systemic evaluations show cyber capabilities double in six months, and they have been tracking real-world cyberattacks showing how malicious actors were using AI capabilities. These capabilities were predicted and are expected to evolve, but what stood out for researchers was how quickly they have done so, at scale. Read Now

  • Why the Future of Video Security Is Happening Outside the Cloud

    For years, the cloud has captivated the physical security industry. And for good reasons. Remote access, elastic scalability and simplified maintenance reshaped how we think about deploying and managing systems. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities