White House background checks: 100 officials served with 'interim' security clearances

Government background checks have been in the spotlight since the Rob Porter scandel, with public outrage swelling at the inefficiencies of the screening process.

The timing of the Rob Porter story, showcasing government background check failures, coincided with news that the Government Accountability Office (GOA) has taken the unusual step of adding government background check efforts to its list of “high-risk” programs, due to the 700,000 people waiting to get clearance.

This action by GOA is certifying that the government background screening process is in need of concerted action to prevent waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement.

It has now emerged that there were more than 100 staffers in the Executive Office of the President who were operating on interim clearances back in November 2017, over a year after Trump was elected. It’s unclear who, since then, has received full clearance. Just yesterday, multiple media outlets were reporting that Jared Kushner, Senior Advisor to President Trump, has had his security clearance downgraded due to his incomplete background check.

Former congressman Mike Rogers, a Republican who chaired the House Intelligence Committee and has been critical of the Trump administration, said this White House’s failed security clearance policies do not serve the country well.

“The security clearance process is critical to keeping America’s secrets,” he told CNN. “Foreign intelligence services look for vulnerabilities in individuals with access to our most sensitive information. Not following the process is a disservice not only to the individual but to our countries security interests.”

Change is underway, after Chief of Staff John Kelly announced an overhaul of security clearance processes in the West Wing. It’s troubling that we’re seeing these inefficiencies at the very top level of government, however.

The problem extends well beyond that, too. As indicated by GOA, it’s critical that “a high-quality and timely personnel security clearance process” is implemented from top to bottom, that the backlog of background checks is resolved, and that the US starts prioritizing the protection of its workforce and citizens.

We, for one, will continue to implement comprehensive, fast, and accurate background screening checks. We hope the high echelons of government will follow suit.