Video shows GOP lawmaker’s pat-down from TSA agents

A video released Friday shows Rep. Francisco "Quico" Canseco (R-Texas) receiving a pat-down from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) he has said he was assaulted during.

Canseco, a freshman lawmaker, said last month in a series of interviews that TSA officials at the San Antonio International Airport “touched me in my private parts and it hurt.”

Video obtained by San Antonio TV station KENS 5 shows Canseco pushing a TSA agent's hand away during a pat-down after the agent reached to check between his legs.

Canseco is then surrounded by TSA officials and San Antonio police officers before being patted down by a different TSA officer.  After the second pat-down, Canseco was allowed to catch his flight.

Since the mid-April incident, Canseco has claimed his response was a natural act of self-defense.

"He touched me in my private parts and it hurt," Canseco said in an interview last month with Fox News. "It's a natural reaction to move the offensive hand away, not in a violent way, and to move back.”

Canseco and the TSA officer both complained to police about being assaulted during the incident, but no tickets were issued.

Canseco has also said that he was selected for a pat-down a week after the incident, which he has said was “not a coincidence.” 

TSA has defended itself against Canseco's allegations, saying in a statement that was provided to The Hill after reports of the incident emerged, "Once a passenger enters the screening process, they must complete it prior to continuing to a flight or secure area."

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