EXCLUSIVE: House Oversight Targets TSA After Whistleblowers Revealed Federal Air Marshals Surveilled Tulsi Gabbard

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer sent a letter Friday to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) demanding information regarding former Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard allegedly being placed on the TSA’s Quiet Skies program, which is a suspected terrorist watch list.

The Daily Caller first obtained a copy of the letter to David Pekoske, the Administrator for TSA, in which Comer mentions whistleblowers’ disclosures that the TSA, including Federal Air Marshals, were surveilling Gabbard during her travels.

Gabbard weighed in on the issue earlier in August, saying on Fox News that “This is only the information that we know. Obviously, I experienced a significant change in my travel when all of this began on July 23.”

“My real question is, what don’t I know?” Gabbard continued. “This is the real pain and stress that’s been caused both to me and my family by this whole situation, day and night wondering if and what government institution and agency is monitoring my phone calls, surveilling me in my movement in my travels, knowing that they may be looking for some kind of excuse or derogatory action to come after me.”

Comer is now calling for direct answers from the TSA over the alleged surveillance.

“I write with deep concern that Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials are continuing a pattern of retaliation against whistleblowers attempting to expose waste and abuse at the agency. Most recently, Federal Air Marshals Service (FAMS) employees made protected whistleblower disclosures revealing that FAMS wasted resources and abused its authority by assigning air marshals to surveil the spouse of a Federal Air Marshal and a former U.S. Member of Congress, Tulsi Gabbard,” Comer wrote in the letter. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: House Oversight Chair Probes IRS On Potentially Illegal ESG Practices)

“These alleged assignments are coming at a time of heightened concerns of potential terrorist attacks against the United States. Instead of holding officials accountable for this misconduct, it now appears that the whistleblowers have been targets of a ‘retaliatory investigation’ by leadership at TSA for their protected disclosures. The Committee requests TSA provide documents and communications and a staff-level briefing to better understand TSA’s use of resources and whether it is retaliating against whistleblowers,” he continued. (RELATED: ‘Should Be Terrifying For All’: Gabbard Rips ‘Unqualified’ Harris, Warns ‘Deep State’ Would Remain If She’s On Ticket)

Here Is What Comer Demands In The Letter: 

• All documents and communications related to any employment action taken or any investigation initiated with respect to TSA employees related to the disclosures regarding Special Mission Coverage of a Federal Air Marshal’s wife and the listing and surveillance of Ms. Gabbard under Quiet Skies.
• All documents and communications regarding or related to Tulsi Gabbard.
• All documents and communications regarding the implementation of the Quiet Skies program.
• All documents and communications containing any DHS or TSA policy related to treatment of information determined to be “Sensitive Security Information,” including, but not limited to, any limitations imposed on the ability of the legislative branch to access such information upon request.
• The identities of all individuals or officials who initiated or who are involved in any investigation identified with respect to request number 1.

READ THE LETTER HERE: 

(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers

“It is alarming that TSA is wasting its resources to surveil an air marshal’s wife and Ms. Gabbard — a high-profile, American public figure — when the threat of terrorist attacks on the United States is high. The threat of terrorism on the homeland has, according to Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray, ‘rise[n] to a whole ‘nother level after October 7,’” Comer added.

Comer also demanded a briefing with Committee staff on this matter no later than August 30, 2024. He demanded the documents and communications be provided to the committee no later than September 6, 2024.