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Erroll G. Southers

Former Administrator-designate of the Transportation Security Administration (since September 2009)

Why He Matters

Southers found himself at the center of controversy before the Senate had even had a chance to confirm him as the head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Some of the political storm had nothing to do with Southers as he became enveloped in the fallout following an attempt by a Nigerian passenger to blow up a Northwest airplane landing in Detroit on Christmas Day 2009. Southers would have develop strategies to further increase airline safety measures, if he had started the TSA role.

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: Asst. Chief of Police for Los Angeles World Airports (2007 to present); Associate Director for the National Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (2006 to present); Deputy Director for the Protection of Critical Infrastructure in the State of California's Office of Homeland Security (2004 to 2006)
Alma Mater: Brown University, B.S. (biology), 1978; University of Southern California, MPA (public administration), 1998

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Path to Power

Southers began his young career thinking it would lead him to work in medicine. Instead it morphed into a 30-year calling in law enforcement.

For school, Southers went to Brown University. He graduated in 1978 with a degree in biology and then headed to medical school. However, within his first semester, Southers decided to drop out and switch careers.

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The Issues

If Southers had passed Senate confirmation, he would have joined the TSA as it responded to the Christmas Day 2009 bomb scare aboard Northwest Airlines flight 253 heading to Detroit. As the plane began its descent, a 23-year-old Nigerian man allegedly tried to ignite an "incendiary device" that was meant to cause an explosion.

The bomb failed to ignite, but the Obama administration took measures to increase security at airports worldwide as security breaches were revealed. In January 2010, the administration announced that passengers traveling to the U.S. from 14 nations, including Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Pakistan will face increased screening procedures.

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Unionization

In December 2009, before the bomb scare, Sen. DeMint announced a hold on Southers' confirmation. DeMint, who sits on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, placed the hold because he wanted Southers to clarify his stance on the possible unionization of TSA employees.

In an Oct. 8, 2009 letter, the conservative lawmaker wrote to Southers that "the safety and security of the American people are far too important to be controlled by union bosses."

"My position right now is one of wanting to review it," said Southers of unionization when asked about it during his November 2009 Senate confirmation hearing in front of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.

During his 2008 election campaign, Obama signaled his full support for allowing the 50,000-plus TSA employees to unionize. In a letter to the president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Obama wrote "If I am elected president, I will work to ensure that TSOs (transportation security officers) have collective bargaining rights and a voice at work to address issues that arise locally and nationally."

In January 2010, due to the hold placed on him, Southers withdrew his name from consideration.

Censure

In 1988, while working as an FBI special agent, the FBI censured Southers for investigating his ex-wife's new boyfriend. Southers asked a co-worker's husband, who worked for the San Diego Police Department, to run a background check on the boyfriend.

"The boyfriend had moved in with my ex-wife, from whom I had separated only a short time before, and I was concerned for the safety of her and my infant son, who was also living with them," wrote Southers to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. "The database search revealed an outstanding warrant for his arrest, about which I informed my ex-wife."

"I recognize that it was a mistake to have used my official connections to investigate the matter," said Southers.

Six months later, Southers left the FBI for unrelated reasons.

But according to an FBI report, Southers also personally used federal databases on two occasions to probe the man's past. Southers admitted that fact the day after the Senate committee approved his nomination, and many members of the committee knew of the discrepancy before voting in favor of Southers' nomination.

The Network

Southers competed in bodybuilding contests at a similar time as California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The two were good friends who went motorcycle-riding together. In 2004, Southers joined the Schwarzenegger administration to help in California's Office of Homeland Security.

Campaign Contributions

Southers has not donated any money to political campaigns, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Additional Resources