US: Scandals and investigations, but few arrests, for air marshals

It is supposed to be a last line of defense against a Sept. 11-style attack on the US. But a federal program that puts armed undercover guards on commercial airliners is in such disarray that it does little to deter terrorists, many of its employees say, and is being investigated by Congress. Alcohol abuse among some in the Federal Air Marshal Service is so rampant that the TSA, which oversees the program, has had to monitor whether the armed guards show up for their flights sober, according to five people familiar with the situation. TSA said its office of inspection makes quality assurance visits to ensure that the air marshals are properly prepared for their missions. Female and minority air marshals said in court documents and interviews that they faced discrimination at work, including being subjected to sexually explicit messages and racist jokes and memes sent on government-issued cellphones. Other air marshals said they were fired or threatened with termination for minor infractions, while misconduct by managers was overlooked. Just 22% of the marshals thought their leaders maintained “high standards of honesty and integrity,” according to a federal employee survey completed last year, one of the lowest rankings among agencies. Congress has asked the Government Accountability Office, its investigative arm, to review the workplace complaints raised by air marshals, said Charles Young, a spokesman for the office.<br/>