Transportation Security Administration workers in Atlanta have reportedly been asked to return $1,000 gift cards they received from representatives of actor and filmmaker Tyler Perry.
Perry first arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport with cash on March 26 to help the employees, who had worked more than six weeks without pay during the ongoing government shutdown.
Federal rules bar TSA workers from accepting direct cash gifts, so members of his team consulted airport officials and later returned with Visa gift cards as an alternative form of assistance.
The $250,000 worth of cards were distributed on March 27 after Perry’s representatives coordinated with management, human resources, and legal. Sources described the gesture as a significant morale booster that aimed to ease financial hardships for workers struggling with basic expenses.
Over the weekend, however, those who had received the cards were contacted and instructed to return them. The airport’s federal security director raised concerns about the distribution, according to sources. Some employees now face added difficulties because they may have already spent portions of the money.
The incident unfolded as the Department of Homeland Security shutdown continued with no resolution in sight, leaving more than 64,000 airport security workers unpaid nationwide.
President Donald Trump signed an order Friday declaring an “unprecedented emergency situation” to reroute federal funds and pay TSA staffers. The move is expected to allow employees to receive their paychecks as early as March 30, as reported by The Dallas Express.
