The companies have hired convicted felons and some employees have been accused of strong-arm tactics.

The airport security company that was fined $1.2 million last year for hiring convicted felons to screen passengers at Philadelphia International Airport has committed more violations, a federal task force said tonight.

Two weeks ago, prosecutors said that Argenbright, previously fined $1.2 million for hiring convicted felons to screen passengers, had continued to hire screeners at Philadelphia International Airport without checking for criminal records.

Under state law, security agencies may not hire convicted felons.

Argenbright was not charged with knowingly hiring felons, but with failing to perform the required checks, the government said.

Just last year, for instance, Argenbright Holdings Ltd., then the corporate parent of Argenbright Security Inc., which is the largest provider of airport security personnel in the country, was fined $1.2 million for hiring convicted felons to screen passengers at Philadelphia International Airport.

"There's no more of that good old buddy system," he said, noting that the sheriffs recently amended their policies so they are no longer allowed to hire convicted felons.

The ad focused on Janice Hahn's promotion of a taxpayer-funded program in Los Angeles that hires convicted felons as "gang intervention specialists", many of whom have been subsequently indicted.

The security company that was fined $1.2 million last year and put on probation for hiring convicted felons to screen passengers at Philadelphia International Airport has continued to hire screeners without checking whether they have criminal records, a United States attorney says.