Jacksonville airport CEO also admits violating security

COO's pay was docked last month after I-TEAM report on 2011 violation

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two major developments Monday in the I-TEAM investigation of an airport executive bypassing security: His boss covered up the violation and admits to his own bypass of the TSA checkpoint.

Last month, News4Jax showed that the No. 2 man  in charge of the Jacksonville Airport Authority had violated security by taking thousands of dollars around a TSA checkpoint and handing it to a board member, who then boarded a plane to Las Vegas. It happened at least once in 2011 but was not investigated until 2015.

Federal officials looked into that and did not pursue the case, but airport officials said last month they did and took action years later by suspending their chief operating officer, Tony Cugno, for three days without pay. That raised more questions, as there was no record of that discipline in Cugno's personnel file.

Monday, the I-TEAM learned that Cugno's pay was not docked for the three-day suspension over the 2011 incident until last month -- after News4Jax began asking about the incident. Cugno's boss, CEO Steve Grossman, admitted to News4Jax that it was his decision not to include the suspension in Cugno's file.

"I believe as a middle manager at the time, Mr. Cugno was a little intimidated by the board member, did something he should not have done, and has paid the price for that," Grossman said. 

Why was Cugno's pay not docked until after the I-TEAM report?

"Well, the punishment was issued in 2016, and the time sheets show that. For whatever reason, the (payroll) system did not pick up on it," Grossman said.

So seven years after Cugno's security breach, he is paying for the mistake by losing three days pay.

So why was it not documented in Cugno's personnel file?

"There was another agenda out there: An agenda to harm Mr. Cugno. So the discipline we took was a three-day leave without pay. And I did not document that because I did not want to supply those with that other agenda with additional information," Grossman said.

That information was being hidden from Don Green, the head of the union for airport police. Green questioned what he calls the lack of punishment against Cugno when other airport employees have lost security clearance for lesser infractions.

"You can’t have a certain class of employees held to a higher standard than others," Green said.

Anonymous emails to the I-TEAM have also questioned Green’s motives, calling him a troublemaker. 

Green admitted that he’s had his own problems on the job, but points out it has nothing to do with these security breaches.

"Absolutely it’s nonsense. They’re trying to direct away from the real situation," Green said.

Airport's top man also violated security policy

The I-TEAM also learned Monday that Grossman had also violated airport security by letting family members go around TSA checkpoints to meet planes. He admits it was wrong.

"When that issue came up, I told my security director, 'Treat me the same as you treat any other employee,' and they did. I was issued a security violation. I went through re-training immediately. And it will never happen again," Grossman said.

News4Jax was at Monday's JAA board meeting specifically to get answers from Cugno, but he did not attend.

Federal officials will not comment on the Cugno's security breach, saying its investigation is over, although News4Jax was told there are some who want to look at this again. 


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Jim Piggott is the reporter to count on when it comes to city government and how it will affect the community.