Conspirator turned informant Abdirahman Bashir testified to his former employment at the airport in the terrorism trial in progress before Judge Michael Davis in Minneapolis this past Thursday. I immediately wrote Metropolitan Airports Commission public affairs officer Patrick Hogan to ask for basic information regarding Bashir’s employment at the airport. It was information of the kind that Hogan had previously provided me on co-conspirator Abdirizak Warsame, who also worked at the airport. (Warsame pleaded guilty in February.) That makes sense; Hogan is the public affairs officer of a public authority. I emailed Hogan:
Patrick: I’m covering the terrorism trial before Judge Davis for Power Line and the Weekly Standard. The FBI informant Bashir is testifying. Just before lunch he referred to the FBI helping him get his job at the airport back. Will you please provide me the badging and other information you have about Bashir’s employment at the airport as soon as possible? If it would help, please give me a call (612-xxx-xxxx). I would especially appreciate whatever you can get me today.
Thank you for your courtesies and consideration.
Scott Johnson
I give Hogan credit for the promptness of his response, but no credit for its substance. He wrote me back:
Hey, Scott. The Airport Police handle their own data requests. You will need to fill out their data request form and submit it to the email address listed on the form. You can get to the form at this link [omitted]…
That took me by surprise:
Really? You can’t get me the information? You have to make me do it the hard way?
Hogan sought to reassure me:
It’s not personal, Scott. This is the way police handle official data.
I took one last shot:
You’re not the police. I’m just asking for basic information of identical kind to that which you previously provided me on [Abdirizak] Warsame. Identical.
And there Hogan has been content to leave it.
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