TSA officials running illegal private consultancy?
Two top TSA officials -- both decorated by the administration for excellence -- have been in alleged violation of the TSA's rules, operating a private security consultancy while drawing a government salary and holding top secret clearance. The TSA has stonewalled on the issue, refusing to issue a statement or talk to the press. One of the men, Michael Restovich, never showed up at a Congressional hearing into why he seemed to be encouraging TSA checkpoints to cheat on spot-tests of their efficacy at catching bombs -- instead, Restovich was hastily dispatched overseas to be the DHS attaché to the United Kingdom.
Pajamas Media has learned that Michael “Mike” Restovich and fellow TSA senior executive Morris “Mo” McGowan ran a private security consulting company while working as high-ranking officials with TSA. Their company, Group 2M Consulting, LLC, was filed with the office of the secretary of state of Texas on April 15, 2004, a copy of which can be downloaded here:LinkAt the time, Mike Restovich was the federal security director of Dallas Love Field Airport. Morris “Mo” McGowan was the assistant federal security director.
Both men held then, and apparently continue to hold now, top secret security clearances with the U.S. government. Consulting in the private sector simultaneously is in direct conflict with federal policy and specifically prohibited by two statutes of Department of Homeland Security employment contracts, a copy of which was obtained by Pajamas Media (available here, with the relevant paragraphs highlighted in yellow)
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Unthinkable!
My amazement knows no bounds and other expressions of sarcastic stuff and such.
Seriously, with a Congress who has given carte blanche to internal CIA and FBI spying on all citizens, does anyone really think that they are going to stop a little graft on the side from one of their hired thugs? And BTW, care to bet that this will NOT make the front page of any US major newspapers.
Just how F@#ked are we in the U.S. right now? Pretty damn screwed. We write to Congress but they just shrug it off. All our major newspapers and media outlets have been pravdaized.
Cory, I feel powerless these days. What effective action can a US citizen take these days - who can we support that can really do anything? Seriously, what can one do? I'd really like to do something - but what?
I also feel powerless.
Something needs to be done.
Powerless is the lame duck Bush administration. Now that they can't keep even the wingnuts at Pajamas Media in line, maybe the nightmare really is over.
What #3 said. They're eating their own.
You are not powerless. Writing to your congress critter does have an effect. So does voting, so does protest, so does getting involved in local politics.
They want you to feel powerless, they want you to not vote, that is the purpose of negative campaigns.
"It's not if or when but how bad?" is the slogan on a No Fear tee-shirt about motocross and bodily harm. It seems to apply to us as an economy and as a nation.
Which state will try to secede 1st?
Good afternoon. If you're interested in reading the TSA's side of the story, come on over to http://www.tsa.gov/blog
Thanks,
Bob
TSA EoS Blog Team
The well never runs dry with regards to corruption within the US Government these last 7 years.
When these kinds of things went on in years past the public would be outraged and call for heads to roll (see: Watergate), but now with our new "fair and balanced" press, when one party is corrupt the talking heads on TV will just temper that with "Yeah, but the other party is hardly innocent." It reminds me of conservatives decrying the loss of "American values" because school teachers promote tolerance of other cultures and lifestyles; aren't conservatives promoting tolerance of corruption by apologizing for GOP misdeeds?
@7 TSA Bob
How did you know to post here?!Running damage control on an "opinion leader" perhaps?
Zuzu, BoingBoing is hardly an obscure blog. Of course the TSA's bloggers read it.
I hate these motherfuckers.
Their penance is obvious. The must remove their shoes and walk across all America, humbly begging the pardon of everyone they meet on the way.
The pres has been very liberal in providing carrier opportunities for people who are more ignorant and arrogant than He is. This is the stuff of empire. The simple notion that we have a core of intelligent people, who genuinely understand service , still in place in government and who are prepared to do some clean up work gives hope. Feeling hopeless is exactly what feeds the controllers. Remembering to be happy is a powerful antidote. That is something to do.
Writing one's congressperson is a good way to get a form letter.
I doubt they even read them. Something like this:
STAFFER: We're getting a lot of letters complaining about the TSA.
CRITTER: Yeah, I hate those assholes?
STAFFER: I'm sorry? Who, the TSA or the constituents?
CRITTER: Take your pick.
I was a bit surprised by this article. In general, it's not a violation to run a business while you're a federal employee. You just can't run something you have influence over. I mean, I knew many people who wrote books while feds because they were experts in their fields.
I read the TSA blog item, to me it smacks of too much explanation. If an accusation is utterly, blatanty false, a grin is the only refutation required.
DCer (16), if running a private security consultancy while you're working for the TSA isn't running something you have influence over, what is?
This is an obvious conflict of interest. People will be paying substantial sums to this consulting firm because they figure Restovich and McGowan will have the inside scoop on security. And the best way for Restovich and McGowan to drum up business and keep their clients coming back for more is to give them some of that inside scoop.
The TSA weblog's response is as thin as kleenex:
Uh-huh. It's fine as long as there are no conflicts of interest; but since there is one, the point is hardly relevant."The TSA is not aware of any government matter that would affect the financial interests of the consulting company" is the incompetence defense, as memorably seen in the Enron scandal. The TSA should know that the consultancy is a conflict of interest; but if they claim they never noticed that -- oh well, how embarrassing to be so incompetent. Can't be a crime without intent, tra la la.
Notice also how their response specifies "any government matter." That's there as a distraction. Security isn't about individual bits of government business considered separately from one another; it's about building up the big picture from a great many bits of information. The expectation that they'll reveal some of that big picture is what Restovich and McGowan are selling. For the TSA to limit their investigation to individual government matters amounts to an announcement that they wouldn't notice that conflict of interest if it bit them on the leg and reset all their high scores.
It would be nice to think that Restovich and McGowan might be called to answer for this. Maybe next administration.
Well, and correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't they paid on salary and expected to work full time for the TSA? When do they run their consultancy, evenings and weekends? I highly doubt it.