Fox News/screen grab
President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Federal Aviation Administration, Bryan Bedford, was previously investigated by the very agency he is now slated to head, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
The investigation traces back to a 2010 episode of CBS’s Undercover Boss, in which Bedford, then the CEO of Republic Airways Holdings, disguised himself as a flight attendant named “Richard.” His stint on the show, meant to provide insight into the lives of frontline employees, drew the attention of the FAA when Bedford was filmed participating in inflight duties despite not being certified for that role.
“The flight attendant position is critical, not just for the safety and security of our customers but also in order to keep the airline running on time,” Bedford said during the episode. But his roleplay went slightly awry when he fumbled part of the safety briefing.
Holding up an oxygen mask incorrectly, he remarked with a laugh, “Oops, missed that part,” as a real flight attendant stepped in to correct him. At the time of filming, Republic Airways had recently acquired Frontier Airlines in a bankruptcy auction. Bedford reportedly agreed to do the show to observe employee morale and operations following the merger and workforce pay cuts.
The FAA began an inquiry into whether Bedford had violated safety regulations by acting as a flight crew member without proper certification. However, according to the vetting documents submitted to the Senate as part of Bedford’s nomination process, the matter was soon dropped.
“After Frontier clarified that I did not serve as a crew member on the flight, I understand the FAA dropped the matter,” Bedford wrote in the notice.
Randy Babbitt, who was the FAA administrator in 2010, confirmed the agency’s decision. “To be totally candid with you, I thought it was pretty funny,” Babbitt told the Journal.
Neither Bedford, the FAA, nor Republic Airways commented for the story. Bedford’s Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for June 11.
Bedford is not the only Trump nominee with a television background. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was once a cast member on MTV’s The Real World, and both Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and interim D.C. attorney Jeanine Pirro are former Fox News hosts.
READ NEXT
- “No Excuse for Killing Someone in Cold Blood”: Illinois Man Gets Life for Murdering Ex-Girlfriend
- “Donald Trump Is Misreading the Room”: Ex-White House Aide Warns Crackdown on Protesters Could Backfire
- Prince William finally gets honest about what it was like to lose his mother Princess Diana
- 19-Month-Old Son Dies After Being Accidentally Run Over by Georgia Mother in Driveway
- “Creating Reparations Packages for Jan. 6 Rioters”: Proud Boys Lawsuit Could Force Trump Administration to Turn on Itself
