In a startling revelation with sweeping implications for civil liberties and political accountability, the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday released documents confirming what many have long suspected: the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) watchlisting program has been politically manipulated under the Biden administration. The evidence points to a two-tiered system of aviation security — one that shields allies and scrutinizes perceived enemies.
At the center of this storm is Billy Shaheen, the husband of Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire.
According to DHS records, Mr. Shaheen was flagged for enhanced screening in mid-2023 after traveling with a known or suspected terrorist on multiple occasions. After being subjected to enhanced screening twice, Senator Shaheen personally intervened, contacting TSA Administrator David Pekoske in October and requesting a blanket exemption.
Just two days later, Mr. Shaheen was quietly placed on the TSA’s Secure Flight Exclusion List — a designation that effectively immunizes passengers from routine security surveillance. He remained on that list for 18 months, a period during which ordinary passengers and even federal officials faced unprecedented scrutiny.
What makes this more than a case of elite privilege is the simultaneous surveillance of political figures critical of the Biden administration. Newly disclosed information reveals that current National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard was surveilled by federal air marshals on domestic flights, with agents documenting the most mundane of personal details — from her appearance to her use of electronic devices. These reports were filed despite no evidence of wrongdoing or investigation.
And the problem doesn’t stop there. Sonya LaBosco, director of the Air Marshal National Council, previously disclosed that agents were being diverted from traditional counterterrorism assignments to monitor individuals who traveled to Washington D.C. around the January 6, 2021 Capitol protests — regardless of whether they attended the rally, entered the Capitol, or committed a crime.
The result, according to LaBosco, is an aviation system stretched thin, prioritizing political surveillance over genuine threats. “On most flights, you’re not gonna have Air Marshals,” she warned, underscoring the real security risks posed by the shift in priorities.
Now, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem is sounding the alarm. In a statement, she described the program as a "political rolodex" for the Biden administration — weaponized against political foes while shielding allies from accountability.
The implications are stark: a federal security framework intended to protect the American people was used instead to monitor dissent and insulate the politically connected.