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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPentagon to take over all federal security clearance checks
WASHINGTON (AP) The Defense Department is poised to take over background investigations for the federal government, using increased automation and high-tech analysis to tighten controls and tackle an enormous backlog of workers waiting for security clearances, according to U.S. officials.
The change aims to fix a system whose weaknesses were exposed by the case of a Navy contractor who gunned down a dozen people at Washingtons Navy Yard in 2013. He was able to maintain a security clearance despite concerns about his mental health and an arrest that investigators never reviewed.
Problems had earlier surfaced with former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who now lives in Russia to avoid charges for disclosing classified material, and Army Pvt. Chelsea Manning, who went to prison for leaking classified documents, triggering calls to update the antiquated system to include more frequent criminal and financial checks of workers who have security clearances.
Another problem has been delays: a backlog of about 700,000 people, including high-ranking federal officials waiting as much as a year to get clearances. President Donald Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, for example, received his permanent clearance just a few weeks ago, more than 16 months after Trump took office. The delay, his lawyer said, was caused by the backlog in the new administration and Kushners extensive financial wealth, which required lengthy review.
Pentagon officials said that over the next three years, the Defense Department will take responsibility for all background investigations involving its military and civilian employees and contractors. But according to a U.S. official, the White House is expected to soon give the department authority to conduct security reviews for nearly all other government agencies as well. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the decision before it was publicly announced.
Plans to transfer responsibility from the Office of Personnel Management to the Pentagon for all of the roughly 3.6 million Pentagon employees, directed by defense legislation for fiscal 2017, are already in the works. The new program will involve a system of continuous checks that will automatically pull and analyze workers criminal, financial, substance abuse and eventually social media data on a more regular basis, rather than only every five or 10 years as it is done now.
https://www.apnews.com/6a92b7e254b74111b722271035a0206c/APNewsBreak:-Pentagon-to-take-over-security-clearance-checks
Iliyah
(25,111 posts)and administration, including t-rump and most of GOP's in congress.
DURHAM D
(32,610 posts)He kept needing to amend his application over and over because he was hiding information.
Crutchez_CuiBono
(7,725 posts)Without penalty.
Javaman
(62,530 posts)MGKrebs
(8,138 posts)like he was supposed to he wouldn't have that fucking excuse.
mr_lebowski
(33,643 posts)By our fucking MILITARY.
And how exactly will they monitor 'substance abuse' records? They going to be prying into everyone with ANY level of clearance's medical records, to see if they take Vicodin for pain, have a MMJ Rx, buy >1 6 pack a week, etc? Or see if they've ever been to Rehab, etc?
This is basically saying that the Pentagon will be monitoring all Gov't Employees via real-time analysis of all available personal data of anyone with SOME level of Sec Clearance (almost all gov't employees), including private health-related data.
Gee, this doesn't sound fascist AT ALL.
malaise
(269,056 posts)This is not good