By As is often noted, Democrats believe there are two sets of rules: one fot Democrats and one for everyone else. And now you can include the TSA to the list. Newly disclosed Department of Homeland Security records have exposed a sweeping abuse of the TSA’s domestic surveillance and watchlisting programs under the Biden administration—granting high-level political favors to allies while targeting critics for heightened scrutiny. At the center of the scandal is Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, whose husband, William “Billy” Shaheen, received a blanket exemption from TSA oversight—even after traveling multiple times alongside a known or suspected terrorist.
The documents, made public today, reveal that in 2023 alone, Billy Shaheen was flagged three separate times by TSA’s “Silent Partner” and “Quiet Skies” programs—federal initiatives meant to detect potential threats through behavioral and association-based monitoring. Rather than allow the system to operate impartially, Senator Shaheen intervened directly with then-TSA Administrator David Pekoske to remove her husband from further screening. Within days, officials approved his placement on the Secure Flight Exclusion List, shielding him from TSA scrutiny going forward.
Meanwhile, critics of the Biden administration—including former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard—were added to the very same surveillance programs with no notice, explanation, or recourse.
“This is not national security,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. “This is political protectionism. The TSA’s exclusion list became a tool to reward the connected and punish the inconvenient.”
A DHS timeline details how swiftly the exemption unfolded:
July 20, 2023: Billy Shaheen was selected for additional screening after flying from Boston Logan to Washington Reagan and then returning from Dulles. TSA flagged him as a “Co-Traveler” of a known or suspected terrorist.
October 18, 2023: Shaheen was flagged a second time while traveling with the same KST.
October 20, 2023: Following another intervention from Senator Shaheen—this time in a private meeting with Administrator Pekoske—Billy Shaheen was formally added to the Secure Flight Exclusion List by Assistant Administrator Heather Nykamp.
October 24, 2023: TSA’s legislative affairs team coordinated internally to ensure the exemption took effect across all airport systems and boarding pass scans.
The exemption remained in place for 18 months—until current TSA leadership quietly reversed it.
Billy Shaheen wasn’t the only beneficiary. The records show the Secure Flight Exclusion List became a revolving door of political elites: foreign royals, celebrities, journalists, and donors—individuals for whom normal security rules simply didn’t apply. Critics say the system was effectively turned into a partisan ledger.
The scandal comes at a time when Americans face increased wait times, invasive screenings, and growing concern over government overreach. Yet the federal apparatus designed to protect the traveling public appears to have prioritized political optics over public safety.
“It is clear that this program was used as a political rolodex of the Biden Administration—weaponized against its political foes and to benefit their well-heeled friends,” said Secretary Kristi Noem. “This program should have been about the equal application of security, instead it was corrupted to be about political targeting. The Trump Administration will restore the integrity, privacy, and equal application of the law for all Americans, including aviation screening.”
The Trump administration has vowed to overhaul the TSA’s domestic intelligence apparatus if returned to office in 2025. Shaheen recently announced that she would not be seeking re-election in 2026.
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