John Pistole, administrator of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, whose decision to put in place more aggressive pat-downs and full body scans at airports drew wide criticism, is stepping down. Pistole, a former deputy FBI director, was nominated by President Obama in 2010 after the president's top two choices were forced to withdraw because of questions raised about their past, the New York Times reports.
Pistole took over the agency after the near escape of Faisal Shahzad, the suspect in a bombing attempt in Times Square, who managed to buy a plane ticket to Dubai even after his name had been flagged by the FBI. He moved quickly to expand security measures at airports to include full body scans and pat-downs, becoming the face of many travelers' frustrations with airport security, even draing a nationwide protest. After more than 30 years in the federal government, Pistole, 58, plans to take a job in academia.