ProPublica, the news organization that won a court case in February to force the FAA to release aircraft tracking information previously kept secret, has released the results of its investigation in a story published on its own Web site and on the front page of Friday’s USA Today. ProPublica said the aircraft operators who requested secrecy could do so for any reason, and the system could be used by corporations and government agencies to avoid scrutiny and bad publicity. ” ProPublica said its investigation showed that a televangelist had flown his “tax-exempt jet” to Maui, and several “owners of newspapers that have fought for access to public records” also had corporate jets in the program. Among those media companies is Gannett, which owns USA Today.
Editor’s Note: I guess that sensationalism was more important to USA Today than making sure they were not among the condemned using this ability for their corporate aircraft. Talk about irony.
