ACLU drops lawsuit against TSA over man detained because of cash

ST. LOUIS -- The American Civil Liberties Union has dropped a lawsuit against the Transportation Security Administration that claimed a man was wrongly detained at Lambert Airport in St. Louis because he was carrying a large sum of cash.

The ACLU filed suit in June on behalf of Steven Bierfeldt, saying he was illegally held for a half hour on March 29 because he had about $4,700 with him.

The ACLU dropped its suit Tuesday, saying the TSA has now made it clear agents can conduct searches related to flight safety, not engage in general law enforcement.

Bierfeldt worked for the Campaign for Liberty, an organization spawned by Ron Paul's 2008 presidential campaign. He was the organization's director of development and carrying funds related to those duties.

TSA spokesman Greg Soule said the TSA was pleased with the lawsuit's outcome. "Currency alone is not a threat, and TSA does not restrict the amount of currency a traveler may carry through the checkpoint," he said.

He said TSA rountinely assesses its screening procedures and refers potential evidence of criminal wrongdoing to federal, state and local law enforcement authorities.