TSA denies quick release of Chaffetz video

Want to see the surveillance video of Rep. Jason Chaffetz's now-infamous run-in with security at Salt Lake City International Airport?

Expect to wait a long time. The Transportation Security Administration notified the Deseret News on Tuesday that it has denied its request for "expedited treatment" to release that video and any written reports or descriptions of the incident.

Many federal agencies have policies to provide the news media expedited treatment if they show they are indeed in the business of providing information to the public, and the information sought is about government activity.

In fact, the TSA said in a letter to the Deseret News that it offers expedited work for requests when there is "an urgency to inform the public about an actual or alleged federal government activity, if made by a person primarily engaged in disseminating information."

It also said it can provide expedited processing in the case of an imminent threat to life or health.

"Your request for expedited processing is denied because you do not qualify for either category," the TSA letter said.

The Deseret News in its original request made clear that it is a newspaper, and explained it wanted to follow up on stories where Chaffetz claimed he was harassed by the TSA at the airport.

The newspaper plans to appeal the TSA's denial and urge an expedited release of information. Also, it plans to appeal the TSA's denial of waiving fees for release of the data, which many agencies offer when they feel release would be in the public interest.

Chaffetz said the TSA harassed him when he refused its orders to walk through what he has called a "strip search" machine at the airport. He has fought to ban use of such machines, and passed through the House legislation to allow their use only in secondary searches when passengers voluntarily agree to enter them.

Chaffetz has complained that people passing through the machines essentially appear nude to a TSA official watching in a remote room. He said when he refused to go through that machine, he was allowed to go through a regular line, but was then told he was randomly chosen for a pat-down inspection.

He said he decided to complain to a supervisor. When he tried to present his card as a congressman, he said he was told the TSA people knew who he was. He said he believes it chose him for harassment because he voted against allowing the TSA to unionize, and for his fight against the machines.

However, he did acknowledge reaching out to touch the ID badge of a supervisor (whom he said thrust the badge in his face), but was told not to touch it or the officer. He said he touched neither.

A labor union leader later said Chaffetz himself chose to get in line for the Image Testing Machine, and was the one who chose to create and escalate the situation. The incident has led to stories carried by media nationwide.

e-mail: lee@desnews.com