By Phillip Bailey
Nashville, TN – U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was detained by Transportation Security Administration officials at the Nashville International Airport on Monday, according to his press secretary.
A spokesman for TSA said the agency is looking into the matter and will release a statement, but would not comment for this story. The account was also relayed by the senator's father, Texas Congressman and Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, who posted a message on Facebook and Twitter saying his son was being held by security personnel.
From ABC News:
Paul apparently set off an airport security full-body scanner, "on a glitch," a spokesman in Paul's office told ABC News.
The Paul staffer said TSA agents would not let Paul walk back through the body scanner they were demanding, according to the staffer, a full body pat-down.
But officials with the federal agency are pushing back against the claim and law enforcement has reportedly denied Paul was held in custody.
Paul has been critical of the federal agency since he took office last year. During a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee meeting, Paul denounced the TSA for conducting invasive searches of U.S. citizens.