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Summary:
In November 2003, the U.S. attorney's office in Miami dropped a criminal case
against a former federal baggage screener charged with stealing from a passenger's
luggage. The case was dropped because prosecutors feared that sensitive security
information (SSI) would have to be disclosed. At issue is the ability of the
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to prosecute other dishonest agency
employees in the future. Will the same dilemma that led to the dismissal of this
particular case occur again? In recent months, this and other important issues relating
to SSI have been raised. This report provides a brief background on SSI regulation, an
overview of the current policy issues, and a description of the criticism of, and support
for, SSI policy. This report will be updated as events warrant.
