The Government Misleading the American People. That's a First.

A report from the Homeland Security Department's Inspector General says the Trasportation Security Administration misled the public, the press, and Congress.

The report follows an investigation into TSA's role in gathering personal information on 12 million airline passengers. The TSA said it was to test a new computer screening system meant to weed out terrorists.

The investigation found several instances:

• After getting hundreds of FOIA requests from JetBlue passengers asking if TSA had their records, TSA reported on their website they had none, even though TSA did, in fact, have those records
• TSA Chief James Loy told COngress in November 2003, that certain kinds of passenger data were not being used in the test -- even though the data was
• The TSA failed to disclose when asked how broad it's role was in getting and using passenger data
  

Congress has said the TSA can't continue testing the system unto the GAO clears their safeguards to ensure privacy and protect data. (USAToday)