brainerd has also testified he had an excellent performance evaluation. he was reassigned to a smaller and less complex airport. the person he replaced did not want to leave and the person reassigned to replace him reassigned because accepting the reassignment would cause him hardship. can you explain the decision to move forward with this reassignment? >> again, that happened before i arrived -- >> it may have happened before but you're responsible, are you not, sir? >> i'm responsible now. and as i said before, i am not conducting directed reassignments in that manner. if i have to -- in fact, i have not directedly reassigned anyone under my leadership. >> now, andrew rhodes was issued a directed reassignment in february of 2015, which was stayed by the office of special counsel due retaliation for whistle-blower activity and rescinded by the tsa. can you explain how mr. rhodes' reassignment was approved? >> i would defer to the person who made that decision. i don't allow that policy under my watch and we're supporting mr. rhodes in his complaint which

brainerd and mr. rhoades, good when if you give a background on how integrity tests are conducted at the airport? tsa thatis testing at went into gear after media stories on ipads were taking place. we have a section known as internal affairs that will come out and run tests on cards, dvd, money, cologne, things like that. the testing items that come out, they conduct the integrity tests . they will come through with these items and the federal security director will get a call. we will be notified of the outcome. generally speaking, they say we zme through with x, y, items, can you recover them? i can give you an example. one of the items they are notorious for planting in an pens.t are they will throw pens on the floor, and people turn it -- they get up and turn it in. they will fly back investigators and literally interrogate them and push for a resignation proposed removal for a pen. i know this because they have done in my airport. i know this because we have joked about the fact that is the test

brainerd reported there were relocation expenses for his reassignment to maine exceeded $100,000. is that true? as far as you know? >> that's my understanding, yes, sir. >> and would you agree that that's illegitimate use of taxpayers dollars? >> it is an in excess of what should have been spent. i capped any reassignment or relocation costs. now the process is first and foremost has to be looked at by the office of human capital. i want them to see is there a need for the relocation? second, has the individual that they're thinking about relocating, is that something the individual desires, wants, what is the skill set, why would you do that? i need a cfo, a chief financial officer has to sign off on the ability to pay for it and reasonable cost and we set limits on the reasonable costs. and finally after it gets reviewed by my executive counsel, we make the final decision in the office. >> it sounds like you're trying to develop or implement a plan for the future, which is part of a cleaning up from some of the things in the past. probably the biggest thing that concerns me is t

brainerd reported there were relocation expenses for his reassignment to maine exceeded $100,000, is that true, as far as you know? >> that's my understanding, yes, sir. >> and would you agree that that's illegitimate use of taxpayers dollars? >> it is an in excess of what should have been spent. i've capped any relocation reassignment costs. >> how are they approved now? >> now the process is, first and foremost, it has to be looked at by the office of human capital. i want them to see is there a need for the relocation? second, has the individual that they're thinking about relocating, is that something the individual desires, wants, what is the skill set, why would you do that? second, i have to have a cfo, a chief financial officer has to sign off on the ability to pay for it and reasonable cost and we set limits on the reasonable costs. and finally, after it gets reviewed by my executive counsel, we make the final decision in the office. >> it sounds like you're trying to develop or implement a plan for the future, which is part of a cleaning up from some of the things in the pa