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Federal prosecutors found security checks were falsified by investigators for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Six investigators have already been charged and it is expected more will follow.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has also raised questions about the thoroughness of OPM's reports. In December, the GAO reported that nearly 90 percent of a sampling of reports sent to the Defense Department were missing at least one type of required document.
OPM handles about 90 percent of the background inquiries for more than 100 government agencies. Law enforcement officers said that the investigators lied about interviews they never conducted because they were overworking, cutting corners, trying to impress their bosses, or in the case of a private contractor, trying to earn more money by hurrying through the checks.
According to the Washington Post (4/9/2009), outside experts said they were concerned about the false reports, given the increasing number of sensitive positions requiring such checks and the pressure to process applications for hundreds of incoming Obama administration officials.
In court papers, prosecutors say the workers lied about having interviewed the friends, co-workers or former professors of applicants seeking government jobs that required security clearance at Treasury, Defense and other agencies.The false reports were discovered after mailing questionnaires to about 20 percent of those whom investigators said they had interviewed.
So far, five investigators have pleaded guilty; one was convicted last year after going to trial in federal court. Most have received probation and two are still awaiting trial.
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The problem is that OPM is narrow minded in it's risk assessment of security issues and relies more on investigative numbers. The current "standard" for investigators to complete work is to have 98% of all investigations completed and appraised as adequate. 90% of all work HAS TO BE completed by the assigned completion date. We currently have 12 days to complete an investigation, and have been directed to have 15 to 18 reports pending at any one time. I was an investigator for 20 years with DOD and this is the worst way of approaching potential national security risks.
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