ALBANY, N.Y. (WRGB) — A political video blaming Democrats for the federal government shutdown and TSA agents not getting paid was abruptly removed from monitors above the security checkpoint at Albany International Airport on early Tuesday afternoon — just hours after CBS6 first reported on it and began asking questions.
The 30-second video, featuring U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, played on repeat for several days above the TSA screening line. In it, Noem accused Democrats in Congress of refusing to fund the federal government, leading to disruptions in operations and missed paychecks for TSA employees.
CBS6’s Briana Supardi was at the airport Tuesday afternoon when the screens suddenly went dark mid-video.
A few minutes after the screens went black, airport officials confirmed the video’s removal.
Matt Hunter, Director of Communications for Albany International Airport, said the content was placed on the monitors by TSA personnel without notice to the Albany County Airport Authority.
“Historically, the content displayed on the TSA checkpoint monitors here and at airports across the country is controlled and managed by TSA,” Hunter said. “Last week, footage was put up on the monitor without prior notice to the Albany County Airport Authority. After reviewing our legal options — and in line with longstanding policies of not displaying political advertising, messaging, or content of any kind in public buildings.”
“The statements made in the video raise questions about longstanding policies related to the Federal Hatch Act, which prohibits engaging in political activity while in an official capacity, including communication that blames, praises, or criticizes a specific political party or figure,” said Hunter.
“It’s important so the government can run more efficiently,” said attorney Michael Fallings of Tully Rinckey. “It’s important so employees aren’t influenced by a particular political group on how they should perform their job duties.”
Hunter said the video was posted on Friday by TSA staff and remained up until Tuesday afternoon. The decision to remove it came amid mounting questions from reporters and members of the public.
Albany now joins a growing list of airports across the country that have refused to play the video. According to Hunter, some airports were asked for permission before the video aired — but that wasn’t the case for Albany.
