NASHVILLE — Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was briefly detained by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials at Nashville International Airport Monday after he refused a full-body patdown.
The search was ordered after a full-body scanner device detected an “anomaly” around the senator’s leg, spokeswoman Moira Bagley told FOX News.
Paul offered to be re-screened by the scanner but refused a patdown “on the grounds that it [would be] infringing on his rights,” Bagley said.
TSA officials escorted Paul out of the security area but allowed him to remain in the airport. The Kentucky senator, who has been a vocal critic of the TSA’s patdown procedures, was then re-screened and re-booked on another flight without incident.
The TSA defended its policies in a statement released following the news of the incident.
“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,” spokesman Greg Soule said.
“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 was elected to the Senate in 2010.