CNN Ridicules Airline Passenger For Standing Up For His Rights

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed suit on behalf of a man who says he was harassed by Transportation Security Administration officials. The hosts of CNN’s American Morning, however, appear to find the whole incident something of a joke.

Steven Bierfeldt is the director of development for Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty. He was carrying a cashbox with about $4700 from the sale of T-shirts and other political items at an event last March when airport officials in St. Louis, MO spotted the money and demanded to know its source.

The 25 year old Bierfeldt declined to answer and set his iPhone to record as he was taken to another room for further questioning. In the recording, a TSA officer can be heard repeatedly asking, “Why do you have this money” and Bierfeldt repeatedly responding, “I’m asking whether I’m legally required to answer that question.”

An exasperated official finally exclaims, “I’m just trying to ask some questions to figure out what all this is about so I can get you on your plane. But you want to play smartass, and I’m not going to play your fucking game.”

CNN host John Roberts commented after hearing the recording, “There’s no question that he was messing with them.” “I asked him that,” correspondent Jeanne Meserve replied, “and he says no, what he really wanted to do was go on his way.” Bierfeldt told CNN that the officials began, “swearing at me, cursing at me, threatening to handcuff me and take me to the DEA and the FBI.”