Rand Paul in TSA showdown after refusing pat down

AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

Updated at 1 p.m. ET

Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky on Monday found himself in a showdown with the Transportation Security Administration in Nashville, Tennessee after refusing to undergo a full-body pat down. Paul was later re-screened and booked on a subsequent flight.

The senator went through the scanner at the airport but was told there was some sort of "anomaly" with the scan and would have to get a full-body pat down, Paul's chief of staff Doug Stafford told CBS News. Paul did not consent to this and offered another scan, but the TSA insisted on the pat down.

According to the Associated Press, Paul said he was "detained" in a small cubicle in the airport, which is about an hour from his Bowling Green, Kentucky home, and missed his flight to Washington for a Senate session.

The TSA disputed the characterization that Paul was "detained." The TSA told CBS News that Paul wasn't detained at any point, though he triggered an alarm during a routine screening and refused to complete the screening process.

Passengers who refuse to comply with security procedures are denied access to the secure gate area. In this case, Paul was escorted out of the screening area by local law enforcement, according to the TSA.

"When an irregularity is found during the TSA screening process, it must be resolved prior to allowing a passenger to proceed to the secure area of the airport," the TSA said in a statement to CBS News. "Passengers who refuse to complete the screening process cannot be granted access to the secure area in order to ensure the safety of others traveling."

Paul's father, Republican presidential candidate and Texas Rep. Ron Paul, quickly tweeted about the incident Monday morning: "My son @SenRandPaul being detained by TSA for refusing full body pat-down after anomaly in body scanner in Nashville. More details coming."

Ron Paul left a similar message on Facebook, and Rand Paul's communications director Moira Bagley also tweeted the news.

Around midday, a TSA official told CBS News that Rand Paul was re-booked on another flight and re-screened without incident.

Both Rand Paul and Ron Paul are known for their libertarian policy positions, and last year, Rand Paul blasted the TSA for conducting unnecessary pat downs.

In a June 2011 hearing, Paul told TSA administrator John Pistole, "I think you ought to get rid of the random pat-downs. The American public is unhappy with them, they're unhappy with the invasiveness of them."

After reports surfaced of young children getting intense, random pat-downs, Paul said in the hearing, "It just really just shows that no one is thinking... We need to be doing better police work and doing less of the universal giving up of our freedom to live our life the way we would like to live our life."

He suggested there should be a "trusted traveler" program in which people who travel frequently and are known to be not a threat, like congressmen, don't have to be searched.

Monday afternoon, Ron Paul released a statement decrying the dispute, noting that as president, he would eliminate the TSA.

"The police state in this country is growing out of control," he said. "One of the ultimate embodiments of this is the TSA that gropes and grabs our children, our seniors, and our loved ones and neighbors with disabilities. The TSA does all of this while doing nothing to keep us safe."

[jimatmadison]

Rand is just a publicity hoooor just like his daddy.

[ratpatootie]

To all you folks who think or have said: "If you don't want to abide by the rules and be searched, then don't fly!" Well, sorry, but TSA is now performing random searches at bus and train stations and even private cars and trucks on the interstates (in Tennessee). Here's one link and it's easy to find more:
http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/06/tsa-swarms-8000-bus-stations-public-transit-systems-yearly

This is only going to increase. How much are you going to take?

[mizRicki]

After being manhandled by the TSA "gestapo"I filed a complaint and contacted my Representative. He was extremely helpful, but the TSA, Homeland Security Agency don't care about the actions of their employees and the employees know this and can do anything the want without reprisal. It's time to dismantle the TSA and downsize "Homeland Security"

[fisher1949]

There were no airline attacks between 2001 and 2010 and TSA didn't need feel up little kids, strip search old ladies, remove diapers from incontinent passengers or irradiate and take nude photos of people then. In ten years TSA has not caught one terrorist.

They didn't find one item in 2011 because of the scanners or groping. Over 90% of items were found using the x-ray belt and walk through metal detectors. They are only groping people to get them to use the scanners and funnel more money to the scanner manufacturers that former TSA head, Michael Chertoff, now represents.

Over 1.3 million Americans have died in defense of the liberties that TSA is trampling. Cowards who defend TSA's violation of the 4th Amendment in exchange for false security are a pitiful and dishonor the sacrifice of those heroes.

This agency and its workers are a national disgrace and should be replaced with a system that actually works. Thankfully Rand Paul and a few other legislators are trying to preserve our liberties and stop the ascent of the American police state.

TSA Crimes & Abuses
******/TravelUndergroundTSAabuses

[szatyor39]

Breach of the peace my foot! Either that is utterly vague or Senator Paul's conduct didn't fit. Neither did mine when a week ago they put me through the ordeal but I am no senator. The idiots who say libertarianism is in any way supportive of the various petty and gross tyrannies the USA government is now practicing should study some political economy! And then they should fess up to their complicity in fostering such tyrannies upon us!

[Ninoskaxx2]

"He suggested there should be a "trusted traveler" program in which people who travel frequently and are known to be not a threat, like congressmen, don't have to be searched." <--- Yeah, make the BS laws for the rest of us, and the morons making the laws are exempt. Great idea! Where do I sign up to vote for you?

[bdubbz911]

Clearly you failed to soak in the full meaning of the sentence you are quoting. A "trusted traveler" program implies those who travel FREQUENTLY. Congressmen travel frequently, therefore they used "Congressmen" as an EXAMPLE. There are many other frequent travelers, i.e. business men and women who do NOT work for the government... Cannot believe this had to be explained to you. Go back to school and finish your GED. Thanks, come again.

[szatyor39]

Rand Paul was put through exactly what I was, at Newark Airport, on January 16th. I was not even allowed to say anything. Allegedly where was nitrogen on my right palm, something associated with the Oklahoma City bombing. What ridiculous evidence! The whole TSA process is a joke. Every time it is tested, it fails to catch those who sneak on flights with hazardous stuff. I am not usually cynical and ascribe this stuff to incompetence more than malice but I am beginning to believe those like Ron and Rand Paul who suspect that the bureaucracy is now deliberately trying to intimidate the citizenry, to subdue us all and try to rule with no restraint. In Rand Paul's case what they did was actually out and out unconstitutional. What a sad development!

[smittyc]

Sounds like another power trip by the TSA. Lord knows I've been through a few of them myself. My answer was to drive and see the countryside. It has worked out fairly well. I can stop, go to a clean restaurant, get a nice meal and be treated like a customer, respectfully. See some folks here are taking sides, sounds like politics in play, you folks should rethink what your saying, the system in place stinks, it's unAmerican and something else needs to be put in place. TSA doesn't just abuse politicians, they abuse little kids, old ladies and the rest of us as well. There have been four or five deaths due to their unprofessional and unchecked behavior. There is something very wrong with TSA.

[BigBlivefromny]

Simple, POLITICIANS are terrorists!!! Look at the mess they are making of America. Pat him down!!!!!!

[justsane-2009]

but if a guy in a turban, or a woman in a hijab had refused a pat-down, they'd have probably been arrested...

[LtSmily]

Actually they can refuse to be searched for religious reasons. The women cannot be touched by infidels, and there aren't any readily available Muslim TSA agents at every airport, so.....