background investigation
The SECRET Act of 2017
Another bill is making its way through Congress and is aimed getting the security clearance process fixed. California Senator Stephen Knight proposed the bill last July and it was passed by the House that same month. H.R. 3210, also known as the Securely Expediting Clearances Through Reporting Transparency (SECRET) Act of
The Security Clearance Applicant Loses in the DSS vs. NBIB Debate
The congressional push for a return to the “old days” when the Defense Security Service conducted all of the background investigations for the DoD prompted various news outlets (Federal News Radio, FedSmith, Government Executive) to weigh in. Even the Office of Personnel Management (parent of NBIB), which remained out of
Information Used for Credibility Evaluations
When applicants receive a Statement of Reasons (SOR) intending to deny them eligibility for a security clearance it usually contains details of the disqualifying issues found in their background investigation and identifies the specific adjudicative guidelines they fall under (e.g., Guideline E: Personal Conduct). However, on appeal when an administrative
Why You Probably Shouldn’t Have a Clearance
In a recent Department of Energy clearance denial appeal the judge turned the tables on the applicant’s argument that he misunderstood the questions on the SF-86 application as to why he didn’t disclose delinquent taxes, debts, and arrests. The issues in this case involved the applicant failing to file his taxes, getting