(The following story by John D. Boyd appeared on the = Journal of Commerce website on May 17, 2010.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Obama, trying for a third time to get someone to run the Transportation Security Administration, announced Monday he will nominate Deputy FBI Director John S. Pistole for the position at the Department of Homeland Security.
Pistole, who has been with the FBI since 1983 and whose experience includes high-level counter-terrorism posts, will be “a valuable asset to our administration’s efforts to strengthen the security and screening measures at our airports,” Obama said.
Obama first nominated Erroll Southers to the job of DHS assistant secretary for the TSA, and later retired Army Maj. Gen. Robert Harding, pending confirmation by the Senate. Both eventually withdrew from consideration after news reports or opposing lawmakers raised questions about their backgrounds.
While with the FBI, Pistole has worked as supervisor in the organized crime section, field supervisor of a white-collar crime and civil rights squad. He also helped lead the investigation into the crash of Egypt Air Flight 990 and a working group on information security after the spying arrest of FBI agent Robert Hanssen.