38:
101:
81:
246:(MSPB), but after the TSA issued its August 31, 2008 "Final Order on Sensitive Security Information," the agency argued that the MSPB had no jurisdiction to challenge an "Agency Order." The MSPB Administrative Judge dismissed the appeal without prejudice so MacLean could challenge the Agency Order in the
286:
In the wake of the
Supreme Court decision, the MSPB remanded McLean's case back to judge Kang for a new hearing, and on May 8, 2015, MacLean was retroactively reinstated by the Department of Homeland Security. Kang formally designated MacLean a whistleblower in November 2015. In March 2019 MacLean
261:
Franklin M. Kang issued an
Initial Decision to uphold MacLean's removal. MacLean appealed the decision to a 3-member appellate MSPB panel in Washington DC, but on July 25, 2011, the full panel denied all of MacLean's Whistleblower Protection Act defenses and affirmed the TSA's decision to terminate
225:
In 2005, MacLean appeared on NBC Nightly News to criticize a TSA dress code that he believed made it too easy to identify air marshals. While the appearance was supposed to be anonymous, MacLean's voice wasn't distorted, and he was identified by TSA officials. MacLean then admitted to being the
250:. On September 16, 2008, a Ninth Circuit panel ruled that the Transportation Security Administration was within its authority to retroactively classify the information as SSI, but found that MacLean could contest his termination before the MSPB under the authority of the
234:
MacLean was fired by the TSA on April 11, 2006, on the grounds that he disclosed prohibited security information. On August 31, 2006, more than six months after he was fired, the TSA retroactively marked MacLean's July 2003 disclosure as being
706:
447:
202:
On July 28, 2003, MacLean disclosed to MSNBC a proposed TSA operational plan that he believed would have reduced aviation security: removing air marshals from long distance, nonstop flights to save on hotel costs.
287:
was fired again by the TSA, on the basis of allegations including inappropriate posts on a message board for air marshals and lying about how he obtained information about potential witnesses against him.
274:
judges ruled in favor of MacLean, instructing the MSPB to reassess whether his disclosure qualified for whistleblower protection. The federal government appealed the
Federal Circuit's decision to the
190:. After subsequently hiring a significant number of new air marshals, the FAA program was moved under the new Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration and called the
210:
field agent, but was rebuffed, leading him to make contact with national media. MacLean was quoted, anonymously, along with other unnamed sources, in a story written by
207:
620:
271:
501:
540:
247:
278:. In January 2015, the Supreme Court upheld the Federal Circuit's decision, ruling that MacLean could pursue a whistleblower defense before the MSPB.
593:
243:
679:
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On June 22, 2009, a full MSPB panel declared that MacLean was not protected under the
Whistleblower Protection Act. On May 12, 2010, MSPB
849:
733:
416:
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651:
787:
217:
TSA first denied that air marshals would have been shifted, but the morning after MacLean's disclosure, the agency dropped the plan.
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by arguing that he had a "good-faith belief" that the information did not qualify as "sensitive security information."
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532:
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359:"Whistleblowers hit turbulence; TSA ex-employees say they've been blackballed for revealing problems"
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711:
684:
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37:
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839:
183:
60:
8:
309:
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131:
572:
455:
151:
363:
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808:
760:"Years later, fired air marshal back on public payroll, but what will he do?"
459:
86:
788:"TSA Air Marshal Whistleblower Fired for Second Time - Government Executive"
448:"What happens when a whistleblower returns to work after a decade's fight"
206:
MacLean said he previously brought his concerns to his TSA managers and a
707:"Supreme Court to Hear Case on Whistleblower Protection for Air Marshal"
738:
680:"U.S. Takes Whistleblower Case Against Air Marshal to Supreme Court"
394:
186:. MacLean was in the first air marshal class to graduate after the
594:"Fired air marshal's saga conjures 'Animal Farm,' supporters say"
652:"Appeals Court Questions Firing of Air Marshal Who Blew Whistle"
64:
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68:
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from 1988 to 1992. After his discharge, MacLean entered the
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Department of
Homeland Security Office of Inspector General
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220:
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as a border patrol agent. MacLean was recruited by the
502:"Did O.C. air marshal endanger public, or protect it?"
272:
United States Court of
Appeals for the Federal Circuit
305:"Whistleblowers May Have a Friend in the Oval Office"
182:'s Federal Air Marshal program immediately after the
734:"TSA air marshal reinstated after Supreme Court win"
541:
United States Court of
Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
281:
248:
United States Court of
Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
806:
785:
417:"Team Bush Scrubs Plan to Cut Air Marshal Force"
214:, chief Washington correspondent for MSNBC.com.
525:
332:"SCOTUS Victory for Air Marshal Whistle-Blower"
621:"The MSPB's Terrible Ruling on Robert MacLean"
123:U.S. Federal Air Marshal: 2001-2006, 2015-2019
16:U.S. Federal Air Marshal Service whistleblower
533:"MacLean v. Department of Homeland Security"
19:For other people named Robert MacLean, see
36:
677:
478:
390:"Air Marshals Pulled from 'Key Flights'"
239:, an unclassified information category.
230:Firing by TSA and administrative appeals
382:
226:source of the 2003 disclosure as well.
807:
731:
704:
445:
242:MacLean appealed this decision to the
266:Appellate and Supreme Court decisions
678:Gershman, Jacob (January 28, 2014).
441:
439:
270:In 2013, a unanimous panel of three
221:TSA investigation and identification
481:"U.S. Labels 2003 Memo 'Sensitive'"
13:
850:United States Border Patrol agents
276:Supreme Court of the United States
14:
861:
626:Government Accountability Project
436:
282:Reinstatement and later dismissal
197:
479:Margasak, Larry (May 10, 2007).
99:
79:
786:Charles S. Clark (2019-04-09).
779:
752:
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180:Federal Aviation Administration
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21:Robert MacLean (disambiguation)
830:United States Air Force airmen
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472:
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244:Merit Systems Protection Board
237:Sensitive Security Information
1:
732:Jansen, Bart (May 14, 2015).
563:"Air marshal in legal battle"
290:
629:. 2010-05-18. Archived from
571:. 2009-06-26. Archived from
510:. 2009-05-15. Archived from
367:. 2007-10-14. Archived from
252:Whistleblower Protection Act
158:) is a former United States
7:
705:Bravin, Jess (2014-05-19).
446:Maimon, Alan (2016-03-03).
192:Federal Air Marshal Service
176:United States Border Patrol
141:44th Strategic Missile Wing
119:United States Border Patrol
10:
866:
765:The Orange County Register
599:The Orange County Register
568:The Orange County Register
507:The Orange County Register
188:September 11, 2001 attacks
116:U.S. Air Force: 1988–1992
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137:
127:
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92:
74:
44:
35:
28:
259:administrative law judge
150:(born March 8, 1970, in
825:American civil servants
815:American whistleblowers
712:The Wall Street Journal
685:The Wall Street Journal
657:The Wall Street Journal
337:Courthouse News Service
107:United States Air Force
835:People from California
170:MacLean served in the
422:Daily News (New York)
113:Years of service
184:September 11 attacks
310:The Washington Post
162:and whistleblower.
160:Federal Air Marshal
483:. Associated Press
152:Torrejon Air Base
148:Robert J. MacLean
145:
144:
121:Agent: 1996-2001
61:Torrejón Air Base
30:Robert J. MacLean
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198:Whistleblowing
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790:. Govexec.com
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87:United States
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57:(age 54)
55:March 8, 1970
47:
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27:
22:
820:Sky marshals
792:. Retrieved
781:
770:. Retrieved
768:. 2015-05-12
763:
754:
743:. Retrieved
737:
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716:. Retrieved
710:
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689:. Retrieved
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662:. Retrieved
660:. 2013-04-26
655:
646:
635:. Retrieved
631:the original
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615:
604:. Retrieved
602:. 2010-05-19
597:
588:
577:. Retrieved
573:the original
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546:. Retrieved
544:. 2008-09-16
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527:
516:. Retrieved
512:the original
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451:
427:. Retrieved
425:. 2003-07-31
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400:. Retrieved
398:. 2003-07-30
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373:. Retrieved
369:the original
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340:. 2015-01-22
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315:. Retrieved
313:. 2008-12-11
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166:Early career
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840:1970 births
809:Categories
794:2019-10-01
772:2015-05-24
745:2015-05-14
718:2014-05-24
691:2014-01-29
664:2013-05-02
637:2010-07-19
606:2010-07-19
579:2009-07-02
548:2008-09-16
518:2009-05-30
487:2007-05-10
465:2019-12-19
429:2007-07-11
402:2006-10-30
375:2007-12-08
344:2008-12-28
317:2008-12-28
291:References
75:Allegiance
51:1970-03-08
739:USA Today
460:0190-8286
395:NBC News
194:(FAMS).
93:Service/
458:
104:
95:branch
84:
65:Madrid
536:(PDF)
262:him.
156:Spain
69:Spain
456:ISSN
138:Unit
128:Rank
45:Born
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762:.
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438:^
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49:(
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