TSA agents were aware that the traveler had been improperly cleared to use expedited airport security lanes.
Nevertheless, the individual was allowed through to his flight on June 29, 2014, reveals the inspector general (IG) at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a partially redacted report. TSA is a component of DHS.
"Mitigating and reducing passenger screening vulnerabilities is important to our nation's aviation security," said DHS IG John Roth. "Incidents like this highlight the need for TSA to modify their [Pre-check] procedures."
In responding to the DHS IG audit, TSA said that if the traveler was a threat, the U.S. government should have placed his name on a terrorist watchlist or a no-fly list.
A whistleblower informed the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) that "a sufficiently notorious convicted felon was improperly cleared" for TSA's Pre-check screening, Roth said in the report.