TSA demands airport issue security creds to ex-con

Even though it was against their own federal regulations, the TSA demanded this airport issue the right for an ex-con to work in highly secure areas of the airport. Hard to believe:

The federal agency's demand that RIC issue the "security identification display area" badge came despite the fact that Richmond International's TSA-approved security program prohibits issuing security badges to people convicted of any disqualifying crimes 

...The Transportation Security Administration threatened the airport with unspecified consequences, Mathiasen said, unless RIC agreed to issue the badge to the employee... Faced with the TSA's demands "and against its own prudent judgment," the Capital Region Airport Commission, which owns and operates RIC, issued the access credentials to the federal employee late last year.