TSA Should Reverse Decision to Redact Report
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement in response to a redacted Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) report released today on the "Audit of Security Controls for DHS Information Systems at John F. Kennedy International Airport" (OIG-15-18). This report contains findings and recommendations for improving security controls for the Department of Homeland Security's information technology infrastructure at JFK. The Transportation Security Administration, in disagreement with the Inspector General, labeled some of the information in the report as sensitive and therefore redacted.
"Classifying information as sensitive or secret, while withholding it from the public, should only be done if national security could be at risk. Proper transparency is key to good governance and by insisting this report be partially redacted, TSA undercuts this transparency. Unfortunately, government agencies have all too often over-classified material under the pretext of security in order to sweep negative or embarrassing information under the rug. I hope that the Acting Administrator promptly reviews the decision to classify portions of the report and reverses this decision."
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