Twenty years ago, when I picked up an assignment to an Intel Squadron after Europe...

[MrScorpio]

I had to qualify for a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information upgrade to my security clearance. So I got all the instructions, carefully filled out my SF-86 completely and truthfully, signed and submitted it and after a few months, I received my clearance upgrade.

It wasn't that hard for me. It's not that hard at all for anyone who tells the truth and does it correctly.

So, when I see that so many of the people who require security clearances in the Trump White House haven't yet received them after about a year and a half from the time they were informed that they would need them, it only goes to show that there's definitely something real shady about these motherfuckers.

REALLY shady, REALLY Super shady.

Hell... I doubt that even Trump couldn't score a security clearance if he was already President.

This shit is not normal. Nothing about these assholes in the Executive Branch is normal at all. There's still more stuff to reveal about what these motherfuckers have been up to that has caused their clearances to be held up. There's nothing preventing that from happening, other than the prevention of full disclosure. Which means that both the press and the Congress needs to get to the bottom of this bullshit.

This is some really important shit. It also gets to the heart of what this administration has been up to. So when the last chapter of the book on these people has been finally penned, harken back to the fact that their clearances were not granted in a timely manner.

As a matter of fact, anyone who doesn't yet HAVE a clearance to do their gawd-damned jobs should be considered as another "scandal" waiting to happen. It's simple; no clearance means that they're shady and fuck. The White House leadership is well aware of their shadiness, and instead of letting them go, they're trying to slide these shady as fuck motherfuckers under the door.

That should not be allowed.

Watch this space for further updates.

[MFM008]

1. I remember

My dad had top secret clearance when he worked at the Pentagon and in Tripoli, libya. He was always handling paperwork..like that Porter guy..minus the wife beating....

[underpants]

2. It's a Trump thing, you wouldn't understand

When you run a organization based on laundering money through a reality TV Star who puts his name up in lights and has his lawyer pay off his um mistress out of his own pocket (below) ....well it gets complicated.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/13/us/politics/stormy-daniels-michael-cohen-trump.html

[DFW]

3. Not only did my brother have to go through the wringer for his security clearance

His wife, who is from Japan, had to give up her Japanese citizenship and become an American citizen. She was furious at the rule, but she did it, since my brother's job would not have survived a refusal on her part. It was ridiculous, since if she was a secret agent of Japan, she was every bit as capable of carrying out her assigned tasks as a US citizen as she would have been as a citizen of Japan.

As it is, once in Washington, she rose to vice-director for Asia at the World Bank, a position rather higher than her future as a bank teller (about as high-ranking a bank position as a woman could expect to reach in Japan in 1980). But her position didn't depend on her citizenship, but rather on the fact that she could commute from Langley into downtown Washington every day.

[getagrip_already]

7. lol embassies have policies for that.....

Everyone in my family except me is a dual national. The reason is my wifes mom left germany during the holocaust. After the war, the german gov't re-granted cittinzship to anyone who had to leave due to holocaust. That cascaded down to my wife and our kids.

Anyway, while we were at the consolate, the dude handling the paperwork dropped a nugget. He said that it was a common practice to allow german citizens who have to remounce their citizinship as part of national service to the us to get it back again after they complete that service.

So governments can be flexible with citizinship. Well, other gov't can.

But I've also held clearances. The first time I applied it took a year to get my final clearance. The dual citizens in my family, and my mother-in-law being a refuge with no original birth certificate, and many close relatives living overseas, dragged things out.

It does happen, and not because of any deep dark secrets in peoples backgrounds. Some people just don't fit a mold, and unusual stands out and gets a closer look.

[DFW]

20. My brother's outfit demanded his wife give up her Japanese citizenship

Last edited Wed Feb 14, 2018, 01:44 PM - Edit history (1)

I don't know if others do. I haven't exactly made the rounds of our spook agencies to ask their individual stances on the subject and they probably wouldn't tell me if I did.

My daughters got their dual citizenship by right of their dual national parentage, and the rules governing dual citizenship in the the 1980s. I don't even know what rules are in place now, but I guess we'll find out soon. My younger daughter is pregnant with her first child, and the father is a German citizen. She intends to request U.S. citizenship for her child when it is born. I hope her own dual citizenship doesn't present an obstacle. I pity the US Embassy if they give her a hard time. She didn't get to be the youngest partner in one of the top international law firms at age 31 by being a wimp in arguments.

[getagrip_already]

21. good for her!

I have a niece living in germany who has 2 very young children. She applied for and received us citinship for them, so they are also dual citizens. So apparently there is no "current" issue.

But your Japanese sil should check with her consulate. It may be that they will let her re-apply for citinzenship after her husbands duty requirements are over.

That's what the german consular officer told us they do when someone has to renounce citizenship for security reasons. Shh, don't tell anyone.

[DFW]

22. This is an open internet board

Who could possibly be looking over our shoulder?

It's interesting. We know a Croatian living here in the Düsseldorf area who insists that our daughters will have to give up one or the other of their nationalities. he says this because he had to. But he is an immigrant, and our daughters are both by birth. They can't "give up" my nationality or that of my wife. And indeed, so far, the Americans and the Germany are both cool with their dual nationality. Birth seems to be an incontrovertible argument. Unfortunately for my younger daughter, the USA is one of three countries on earth that does not recognize residence-based taxation, so even though she is taxed way higher in Germany than she would be if she lived in the USA, she is still forced to file a US tax return as an American citizen. Unlike me, though, all her income is from Germany, so she doesn't get with double taxation like I do (it's illegal under the double taxation treaty between Germany and the USA but the Germans choose to ignore the treaty for that part of my income that is source-taxed in the USA, and want to tax it again).

[Angry Dragon]

4. KICK for Truth

[Hortensis]

5. My husband had to qualify for a top secret clearance

when he was working for the Jet Propulsion Lab and worked on projects on government installations here and abroad. We learned from friends that they'd been interviewed, which was just a fun topic of conversation. To my disappointment I wasn't interviewed at all (why not!?), but I'd already had lesser clearances through the FBI database for professional licenses.

The only reason we heard about anything else was an old bill, long forgotten by then. I don't remember if we hadn't incurred it or had already paid and not been credited, but the company wouldn't correct it and we didn't pay. In any case, to get the clearance we had to take the information given to us to the company, because their billing clerk couldn't find it (pre- today's computers), and pay the small amount to get it off our record. The FBI did the followup to make sure it was done, no need to give them anything.

Without that little irritation, getting the clearance would have been about as bothersome as applying and interviewing (once) for a new job.

[Atticus]

6. My mother was a federal civil servant at an Air Force Base. When she accepted a promotion

to work for the Military Air Transport Service, the FBI interviewed our neighbors, our pastor, and both my parents. That's what we knew about.. My memory is that she was cleared and started her new position within 2-3 months.

99.9% of FBI agents are total nonpartisan pros. They're there to enforce the law "without fear or favor". The ones I've known decided early in their lives that they wanted that career. To see the entire agency smeared daily by this batch of micreant degenerates is disgusting.

[cab67]

8. my brother in law was screened for security clearance.

I don't know what, exactly, it was for, but I remember being asked questions about him by federal agents.

I later learned about their ability to discern good information from bad. My two sisters basically don't talk, and one of them is prone to make accusations based on misinterpreted information or, more worryingly, from her somewhat creative memory. We're never sure whether she's deliberately lying or has psychological issues that prompt her to remember things that never really happened. In any case, the federal agents spoke to her, too - and in hindsight, some of the questions I was asked were intended to test claims she'd made. My brother in law got his clearance.

From what I saw, the FBI doesn't pass along claims they can't verify somehow.

[ehrnst]

9. I had a low level clearance to work on software documentation and user manuals

as a contractor in the software development department a government agency. I could not work onsite until the clearance had passed.

My spouse has a background check done in order to simply build the sets for the Presidential Debates, and some items like a conference table for a NATO meeting.

Apparently you need less to work in the WH if POTUS says so.

[raging moderate]

10. DU Rec.

[Farmer-Rick]

11. In the Navy, I was getting a security interview the day the world Trade Center was first bombed

That interview was cut short as the agent wa called to assist in the investigation.

If I had had half the red flags Trump and his gang have, I would never have got my clearance. To Trump and his minions security clearances are merely window dressing. They obviously do NOT care.

Their behavior is obviously treasonous and they should be impeached.

Our next election will be rigged again by Putin.

Putin is our president now.

[world wide wally]

12. The FBI should just stamp their applications: Rejected

[PatrickforO]

13. You know, it is because all of you posting on this thread really care

about this country. Trump and his people don't give a shit about anything but getting richer. And they are immoral, crooked, dirtbags. Wife beating, money laundering, obstruction of justice, lying to federal agents, and TREASON.

[mn9driver]

14. Telling THE TRUTH is critical.

I needed a top secret clearance in the early ‘80’s. My background wasn’t spotless; I had done some wild stuff when I was younger. I wrote it all down on the application. Every bit of it.

I got my clearance. They are much more concerned about blackmail than they are about what you did.

[Phoenix61]

27. Exactly

If you'll lie on the application, you'll lie and that doesn't work for them. They don't care that you smoked a joint in college or "borrowed" the family car to go joy riding when you were 15.

[MineralMan]

15. Yes! I, too, filled out that form, way back in 1966.

I filled it out completely and accurately, and got my clearance in due time. The FBI actually interviewed the people whose names I supplied as references, along with neighbors and others. I had disclosed that I had received mail from Soviet bloc countries, and explained why I had received that mail. I was interviewed about that in detail, and my explanation of being an avid short-wave radio listener who had sent reception reports to various radio stations was apparently OK.

During my time in the USAF Security Service, my clearance was upgraded several times, eventually reaching the highest possible levels of compartmented access. That occurred when I was assigned to duties inside the NSA building at Ft. George Meade in Maryland.

The point is that the process, at least then, was very thorough and very efficient. All information I included on that form was thoroughly checked. Since there was nothing negative, I was cleared. But, until the clearance was granted, I did not have access to any classified information, and each time there was an upgrade in my clearance level, I did not have access to materials that required that level of clearance until that level was confirmed.

The laxity of security in the White House is shocking. Either things have changed or rules are being ignored.

[SQUEE]

23. That's funny, I had forgotten that.

I recieved my T/S clearance in 90.
My QSL mail and Big Blue Marble pen pal from Bulgaria came up..I was a little dismayed they would even know that stuff.

[MineralMan]

24. In my case, they knew about it because I disclosed it

on the form. My SWL background, though, actually had some relevance to what I was going to be doing, oddly enough.

Back when I was actively seeking QSL cards from foreign broadcasters, I got lots and lots of mail from them. Yugoslavia was especially generous with magazines and other stuff, as was the Soviet Union. At one point, we got a form from the USPS my father had to sign to allow delivery of those "commie" publications. He signed it, so they kept coming. I remember getting my copy of Soviet Life in the mail every month.

None of that really bothered the security clearance folks, apparently. I had an interview, during which I explained my hobby. They seemed unsurprised at that. I got mail from all over the world. It was great.

Had I not disclosed it, though, I probably wouldn't have gotten the clearance, due to that signed USPS form, which probably would have been discovered. I guess I knew that, so I disclosed.

The funniest thing about the form, though, was the list of personal references I had to provide, complete with addresses. I couldn't come up with enough people whose addresses I remembered to fill the form out completely, so I plugged in a couple of pretty random names and addresses I could remember, but that weren't for people who knew me very well. My favorite was the owner and proprietor of the pool hall in my home town. I didn't know him very well at all, but he was on the volunteer fire department with my father, so I figured he'd say nice things. Later, when I was home on leave, several people excitedly told me about their visit from some FBI guy asking questions about me. My claim to fame was secure in that little town after that.

I can't say I took any of it very seriously at the time, but it was serious business, actually. As my work went on, certain talents of mine led me deeper into the intelligence business and additional levels of clearance were needed. When time for my USAF discharge approached, I got a very tempting offer from the NSA to move into a civilian position at a higher GS level than I would have expected. I decided against it, though. Had I accepted that offer, I'd be retired right now with a pretty good income. Oh, well.

[leanforward]

16. I'm with you.

What's going on with this guy in the WH is blackmail, plain and simple. It is said that the folks in the White House are doing the peoples business.

If you don't pass a security clearance, you're out.

Since his comments about McCain and the Gold Star family, I've been against him.

And, a big THANK YOU to all of the investigative journalist for background info on pRezident dRumpf. His past personal and business practices are exactly what we're seeing today.

He is crooked. I feel for those that voted this fool in, quite literally this is called "tyranny of the minority".

[HipChick]

17. I had to get SC for jobs

I held in places where I can't even talk about
But yes, I forget about a couple of weekend shopping trips out of the country...moreover my passport was not even stamped...I traveled A LOT, so trying to go back a few years and remember...anyway, the net net was several FBI agents visits...I completely honest..it was sorted, and clearance granted.

[unblock]

18. among the people i worked with who *got* clearances, was one with a couple arrests on his record

one for some sort of teenage hooliganism, maybe vandalism or disorderly conduct.
the other arrest was for pot.

i think he pled guilty to both and paid his fine and did his community service or whatever.

main thing he got right was just telling the truth during the security clearance process. one of the biggest red flags there is is lying to cover up embarrassing information. so just tell the truth, whatever it is.


oh, this same guy roomed for years with a chinese national. as in mainland, communist china, not taiwan.

he still got a top secret clearance.



but more than a couple dozen people in donnie's administration can't get clearances?

that's some truly f*cked up sh*t.

[BumRushDaShow]

19. Much of the investigations for clearance have been contracted out

Apparently a new entity was stood up in 2016 to handle this - http://www.govexec.com/contracting/2016/09/opm-widens-team-contractors-new-background-check-bureau/131460/

I know when I had mine renewed before I retired, it had come after a huge backlog of clearances that were pending from a number of years prior and used contractors to do the inteviews.

[Hekate]

25. I keep bringing it back to the same issue, MrScorpio: personal failure to pass the clearance...

Don't let ourselves get sidetracked by the fact that Porter is a damn wifebeater (and may I ask when he stopped fcking goats) and forget the rest, like who hired him and who let him stay in his job.

We need to know all of it: who else is working without clearance, and why?

[zipplewrath]

26. It's a bit "harder" these days

Since 9/11 the process has gotten much longer, mostly because there are so many more people that need clearances for their work. They have contracted out much of the investigation work to private contractors. What can delay these things is either complexities (especially financial ones), international connections (especially family), or passed deeds such as arrests, bankruptcies, etc. It should be noted that Porter's was done and closed by the FBI. The White House just never acted upon it (until it was disclosed).

[Orsino]

28. It is and should be harder for an international business wheeler-dealer...

...than for regular enlisted military.

But they have people who can do the necessary research and even type up the forms--and how many months should it take them to submit a correct fucking 86?

[Mr.Bill]

29. I've always leaned toward the idea

that Trump can't get decent people who could get a clearance to come and work for him. In a way, this is actually a good sign. It speaks volumes about what a scumbag he is. And a we'll-known scumbag at that.

[not fooled]

32. Yeah, and not only

do decent people not want to work for him, but I heard an insightful comment recently that donnie actually likes to have people with problems in their past working for him, so that he has something to use against them (sorry, I can't remember the source to give credit--was one of the commentators on an MSNBC show recently).

Doesn't that just ring true? Even if boy scout types were willing to work for the con, he prefers someone dirtier.

[Ligyron]

30. What the heck kinda skeezy stuff did all those guys do to be denied a clearance?

That's rhetorical.

From what I've read here concerning people's personal experiences getting clearances (and my own as well) I have to wonder what type of shady, dishonest stunts these perverts pulled to be denied one? Sure, it got a little tougher after 911 but, sheesh.

30 of them?

The bad part is they let them do their jobs anyway and I wonder how long that will be allowed to continue?

BTW, the worse part about having a TS clearance is people who need to get one will use you as a reference. Alot. NSA did the background investigations overseas when I needed one. I got to know a certain clique of agents pretty well by the time it was over with.

[Beartracks]

31. They despise government. And in America, that means...

... they despise democracy, as well as rule of law

========

[Stonepounder]

33. My wife spent a couple of years in Germany when her previous husband was stationed there.

She had a Civil Service job working for the military and had to get a security clearance. One of the questions was something along the lines of 'list any foreign nationals you know'. She went to the Security Officer and asked how to answer the question, since she was an army wife who had been stationed in England and now Germany and obviously knew way to many 'foreign nationals' to list. He laughed, marked the question N/A and initialed it.

These people are not looking for reasons to reject you and they are not stupid. It was obvious that the question didn't apply to her situation. When, years later I needed a T/S clearance to work for a Gov't Contractor running their computer dept, I literally didn't know any foreign nationals. And for all the work the FBI went through checking me out for a T/S clearance, the only bit of real 'classified information' I ever became privy to was the combination to the cypher lock on the computer room door. The point was that as the system manager I had enough privilege on the computer than I could have looked at anything on the computer and no one would have thought anything about it.

[DeminPennswoods]

34. Still have a copy of my application

I remember having to go to our hardware command for an interview, but I'm not sure if I ever got a T/S clearance since the then top secrect program was canceled by then SecDef Dick Cheney.

[tiptonic]

35. Likewise

Some 40 years ago, i had to have a Secret Clearance, just to operate a radar scope. My friends, neighbors and school, were all contacted by the FBI. That was all for a 19 yr old kid. That was done by leg work, etc:. Now with all these computers, they can't complete a background check. Something smells.

[keithbvadu2]

36. Dubya had a problem understanding when he could have gotten a security clearance.

Dubya had a problem understanding when he could have gotten a security clearance.

He forgot how long it had been that he had not used drugs so he came up with various time frames that he could have qualified to get a security clearance.

Something like seven, seventeen or even twenty-five years.

[jimmil]

37. I had to get a security clearance working on DDs, DGs, LHAs, etc.

It was fun and all, really. Secret rooms to use computer terminals if yo were doing certain types of work. Certain computers to use for other things. The "war" room in the ships was considered secret and you had to do the whole badge thing to get in to do your work. All super duper secret.

Then, when we had commissioning ceremonies the ships were wide open for the public to go all thru and look at everything. It was the funniest thing, I needed my life investigated from birth to get into these places and all I really had to do is show up for a big party thrown by the Navy. Sometimes you just have to wonder how intelligent our intelligence services are.

[fleabiscuit]

38. Kick

[Cha]

39. Thank you for your

experience with Security Clearances, MrScorpio..

And, emphasizing how important this is.

[applegrove]

40. Think how sketchy the finances and relationships are for the people

Trump hired. Plus they apparently could never have said anything bad about Trump on facebook or social media to get hired. Which cuts out more than 70% of republicans who supported other nominees.

[GoneOffShore]

41. I agree with the shady, but I suspect that there is also a large dose of just

plain old-fashioned incompetence involved.

To steal someone else's sig line - "Never attribute to malice that which is very well explained by incompetence." Napoleon Bonaparte

[poboy2]

42. do not relent in this attack

This could be an extinction level event for the USA.

[poboy2]

43. OP needs more exposure, imo, so bump. -eom

[calimary]

44. Thanks for this, MrScorpio. MOST illuminating.

Your suspicions sound well-founded to me. Excellent point about how - if they're STILL not cleared, BY NOW, after more than a year of this misery has gone by, something's obviously pretty damn fishy.

[Hekate]

45. Kick and Rec