Agents shock Congress with ease of federal security breach

Federal agents, right, are waved past metal detectors at Orlando International Airport

May 25, 2000
Web posted at: 10:29 p.m. EDT (0229 GMT)

In this story: 'We were not' challenged 'This is shocking' Agencies rush to plug holes RELATED STORIES, SITES

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Undercover agents who breached security at eight federal agencies in a single day told Congress Thursday that they entered high-level offices and could have planted simultaneous bombs, striking at the heart of the nation's infrastructure.

"There would have been a lot of damage if (devices) were placed in the certain locations we had access to," said Ronald Malfi, one of the agents who took part in the operation.

The agents testified before the crime subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, detailing how they used fake IDs identifying them as police officers or federal agents to get by security at 19 of the federal government's most secure buildings, as well as Reagan National Airport and Orlando International Airport.

The agents were working as special investigators for the Government Accounting Office at the direction of the subcommittee.

In a single day, the agents were waived by metal detectors at eight agencies, including the Energy Department, Federal Aviation Administration, Health and Human Services and Department of Transportation. Additionally, during the past three months the GAO investigators faked their way into such sensitive areas as the FBI, Pentagon, CIA, the State Department and the Justice Department.

Some of the agents posed as New York City police officers.

"They were right out of central casting; the New York accents, the hair, the mustaches," said a high-ranking Justice Department official who asked to not be identified.

"In some of those agencies, we got to a restroom near the agency or Cabinet member's suite. We could have planted a device to have it all go off, say at 5 p.m. or 4 p.m.," said Patrick Sullivan, another of the participating agents.

The bogus credentials shown to security personnel were made "without any attempt" to make them look authentic, the agents said.

Asked if the agents were ever challenged, Malfi said, "No, we were not."

"This was not a police courtesy that was done with a wink and a nod ... because of some sort of brotherhood," Malfi added. "We discovered a hole in the system. Hopefully, that hole will be addressed."

Agent Robert Hast told the subcommittee that, "It would be difficult for the average person to carry themselves (past security), but I think a trained intelligence officer, a terrorist, someone who had some training would be able to do that."

"Can you imagine the kind of damage that could have been done to our national security had all of those agencies been penetrated by a foreign operative on a single day, intent upon disrupting this nation's commerce and disrupting our communications systems?" asked committee Chairman Bill McCollum, R-Florida, during the hearing.

McCollum asked the GAO to perform the security tests. He is sponsoring legislation to combat the use of stolen and phony law enforcement credentials. The GAO gave advance warning to the Justice Department regarding the security test, and guaranteed that the agents would not be prosecuted for impersonating police officers.

Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Illinois, chairman of the Judiciary Committee that oversees the crime panel, thanked the agents for their work. "This problem involves an attitude, a national attitude that makes security the lowest issue on the totem pole," Hyde said. "The only way to wake people up is to shock them. And this is shocking."

The agents emphasized to the committee that the security lapses were not an "indictment" of the current administration or of security guards at the agencies.

"With some tweaking, this type of penetration should be able to be avoided in the future," Malfi said.

The report has already caused several changes at federal agencies:

  •  Attorney General Janet Reno on Thursday said security practices have been changed at the Justice Department as a result of the report. She would not elaborate on what those changes are.

  •  The FBI will require non-FBI law officers to surrender their weapons if they do not possess approved clearance.

  •  Defense Department officials said employees from other federal agencies will be required to have a pre-arranged meeting to enter the Pentagon, and must be escorted by someone with a building pass. The Pentagon is also considering ending a longstanding policy of allowing active-duty and retired military personnel unescorted access to the Department of Defense.

The Pentagon had previously maintained a reciprocal arrangement with other agencies, allowing officials with government identification from certain agencies to enter the vast building unescorted. Law enforcement personnel will also be required to leave their guns at the security desk.

  •  The Justice Department implemented several changes immediately after being briefed on the security breaches this week. As a result, state and local police officers will be required to turn in their weapons at the door of the Justice Department unless they are making an arrest or conducting an interview in a criminal investigation. They will also be escorted to and from their meetings.

National Security Correspondent Jamie McIntyre and producers Terry Frieden and Chris Plante contributed to this report.

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