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Revolving Door at the Air Marshal Service
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ShareJune 20, 2006 9:50 AM
Federal air marshals tell ABCNews an expensive hand-held communication system has not lived up to its promise but that their former director has still benefited.
The system, part of a multi-million dollar contract with the Datamaxx company, was pushed for by the former director of the Federal Air Marshal Service, Thomas Quinn. He went to work as a paid consultant for the company weeks after he left the government earlier this year.
Under Quinn, the Federal Air Marshal Service paid Datamaxx more than $22 million for a system of personal digital assistants, or PDAs, that was supposed to allow air marshals to document suspicious behavior and communicate with the ground during emergency situations.
Air marshals say that what they got was little more than a paperweight. "They were represented as something that was going to help us identify terrorists, but there's just no way that it was going to work that way," said Don Strange, a former FAMS Special Agent-in-Charge in Atlanta.
Air marshals who tried to use them during a recent incident on a Dallas-Newark flight said they were "worthless," according to marshals who thought the devices were supposed to provide communication between marshals in the air. A FAMS official said the devices do not currently feature that capability.
A House Judiciary Committee report released two weeks ago found that an "overwhelming majority" of air marshals interviewed said the PDAs were "inoperable and consistently failed to perform their intended functions."
Datamaxx referred questions related to operational issues to the Federal Air Marshal Service.
FAMS spokesman Conan Bruce said that the agency upgraded the device through Datamaxx last October and that the current PDA "performs its intended functions and operates well."
Quinn resigned on February 3 of this year. Within weeks, he was promoting Datamaxx's products at a homeland security trade show in Washington, D.C.
A spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration, which oversees the Federal Air Marshal Service, said that Quinn had cleared his current work with Datamaxx through the agency's ethics office.
Government watchdogs say Quinn's employment with Datamaxx raises ethical questions. "There is absolutely an appearance that this is payback for his irrational exuberance for this contractor and its products," said Keith Ashdown of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a group that monitors government contracting.
Just before leaving office, Quinn promoted the Datamaxx's software in an article he wrote for a law enforcement newsletter. Quinn's article is prominently featured on the company's website.
"It looks like Mr. Quinn is using his office, which he just left to give a seal of approval on this company's product," said Jennifer Porter Gore of the Project on Government Oversight. "Let's just say this doesn't pass the smell test."
Quinn did not returned phone calls requesting comment for this story.
June 20, 2006 in Federal Air Marshal Service | Permalink | User Comments (30)
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Amen, brother and sister FAMs. It just keeps stinking more and more, while these SS pukes get richer and richer, and we get sicker and sicker. Oh, and thank you, too, FLEOA, for NOTHING. I am sure Chertoff took care of you, Mr. FLEOA Director. Worst dues I have ever paid in my life. Not to mention Chertoff could care less, Hawley is too stupid, and now "Director Dumbo" hides behind his big ears, getting free DirecTV from their reception capability, and does nothing. What a perfect fit: You go from Quinn's Chief of Staff to the Director, change nothing, mislead the troops that you will, and are STILL not held accountable. So far, not ONE Government entity has done us right, and only ABC and Spencer have spoken up. And, we still stay in the same hotels, with the same hotel staff asking for copies of our credentials when we check in, with a nice convenient list of all of us at the front desks. Amazing. Time to quit. But that's ok, I am sure it's ok for ATSAC's to do checkrides when they aren't even qualified to do this job, not to mention when they use checkrides for personal travel, on the TAX dime. America, you oughta be furious! I pay taxes , too, and it makes me SICK. 22 million for a paperweight? WEll, at least it has some buttons on it. Oh, and that's right, it's not even an American product. NICE!
Posted by: FAM who's had It | Jun 21, 2006 3:00:14 AM
America should be angered by the fraud, waste and criminal conduct perpetrated by FAMS managers. The media has picked up on the problems with FAMS management for years and no one seems to care. Even Congress has only paid lip service.
Soon, there will be no flying FAMs left as they all head back to Border Patrol and their former jobs despite the cut in pay. At least they can respect themselves again. It takes a lot to put up with the corruption all around you as you try to do your job.
I just wish ABC News and Congress would help us with some job fairs. The reporting and some harsh words from Congress seem to be doing NOTHING.
The Dept. of Labor is not helping much either. Get injured on this job and expect your bosses to deny your claims and try to keep your injury out of the stats - no matter the cost. (Denying a federal employee their medical benefits in this matter is a Title 18 criminal offense.) Try getting a Dept. of Labor Investigator to do anything to help. They act as if they have never done a criminal case before.
These issues affect every American. Even if you do not fly for business or leisure, you work, eat and sleep inside buildings. 9/11 showed us that we are not safe inside buildings anymore if we cannot keep our aviation infrastructure safe.
Posted by: Sick FAM | Jun 21, 2006 11:13:13 AM
I have given up. I just do not care any longer and will be leaving for a private company. It is embarassing to be associated with the Fams. I wish I could get it off my resume.
Posted by: Detroit Fam | Jun 21, 2006 12:05:03 PM
Tom Quinn is a dirt-bag! End of story.
Posted by: Ben Harris | Jun 22, 2006 8:09:23 PM
I agree, Tom Quinn is shameful for what he has done to the Air Marshals and to the taxpayers.
This is all so sad. He truly tainted the gold badge of the federal law enforcement officer.
Posted by: Benson & Hedges | Jun 22, 2006 11:05:22 PM
My youngest boy was so happy when he was selected to become an Air Marshal after 9/11. He was a State Trooper for five years and a U.S. Marine before. He has changed considerably since becoming a Fam. I ask him what is wrong and he just says he wishes he never took the job. I ask him if ABC is correct and he sadly says ABC only knows half of it. My son is a patriot, but now just wishes the State Police would take him back. They have a policy of - once you leave, you never come back.
Please call your Senators and tell them to look into this place. Something is very wrong.
Posted by: Mother of a Fam | Jun 23, 2006 12:06:06 PM
Another who know what, dont know his elbow from his you know what.
Incompetent fools
Posted by: JS. James | Jun 27, 2006 3:39:01 PM
It is nice Quinn is gone, but he wasted 22 MILLION DOLLARS of the taxpayers money so he could cut a good private sector job. That should be illegal.
I am not surprised though.
Posted by: Goodbye Quinn | Jul 2, 2006 9:02:32 PM
Tom Quinn is a lying, cheating, thief. He lied to Congress, but somehow gets away with everything. Does he have pics of somebody important doing something gross? Makes you wonder how he does it.
Posted by: Former FAM | Jul 23, 2006 12:04:42 AM
I hope the government no longer uses Datamaxxx.
I also hope Tom Quinn is investigated properly and thoroughly - and not by his buddies.
Posted by: Taxpayer | Aug 22, 2006 8:16:36 PM
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