Background Investigators Face He-Said She-Said Accusations

Background investigators go through a lot of hoops to be certified to conduct federal background investigations. First, they must undergo the Top-Secret security clearance process, then attend and pass the field investigator training course. Once those are completed, they receive their badges and system accesses, then hit the street, learning on the job as they go. Investigators are expected to have the highest level of honesty and integrity, but as in all professions, there are a few that give the rest of us a bad reputation.

There have been some interesting conversations on the ClearanceJobsBlog regarding field investigators getting suspended without pay by their employer because a security clearance applicant claims that they don’t remember ever talking to the investigator. Or, the applicant denies providing the information noted in the report of investigation to the investigator. Investigators are required to hand in their notes taken during interviews when they submit their reports as a way of confirming the information provided, but that does not seem to prevent investigators getting thrown under the bus when an anomaly pops up.

Having one’s integrity questioned is demoralizing and does not make them want to go above and beyond in carrying out assignments. The more experienced investigators who have been wrung out a few times can tell you this. One blog site user suggested that the interviews be recorded, like they do for polygraphs. However, due to Privacy Act concerns and some individual state wiretapping laws, this is not permitted for administrative type investigations for security clearances.