T.M. Cullen wrote on Nov 12^th, 2008 at 6:48am:


Unfortunately, my embarrassing flaws and poor decision making are no match for some of the more colorful transgressions of certain politicians.

Best wishes TC,

Mr. Bellemont

Dear Mustbealiar,

Thanks for your support and letting me know about your experience.   

Based on what you and TC have said, it sounds like getting a low level clearance is doable.  The position I'm applying for at State requires only a Secret.      

It sounds like even a (non-poly) TS might be possible.  But your advice rings true with my own experience. I will never take another polygraph.

One polygraph is already one more than any good, honest person should have to experience in a lifetime.                     

Best wishes,

Mr. Bellemont

Quote:


Character flaws and poor decision making?  Have you considered running for office or becoming a government bureaucrat?   

TC

Mr. Bellemont,

First of all, I'm sorry to hear about your experience with the FBI.   

Regarding clearances, I hold a secret clearance at my current job despite my unfortunate experiences with FBI polygraphs.  You shouldn't have a problem at that clearance level.  Keep going with State, especially if there is no poly required for the position.  Otherwise, I'm with TM: I wouldn't waste my time with any more polygraphs.   

Good luck to you

Dear TC,

Thank you for sharing your insight.

In my paperwork I admitted to a certain incident that I did as a minor a long time ago.  When cross-questioned about this incident, it occurred to me that I might have honestly forgotten one or two details that were minor.  The FBI man then asked me to write a "clarification", which in my naiveté I was only too happy to do.   

Separately, he pushed me into admitting what were essentially small character flaws/poor decision making.  These he did not ask me to write down. 

Cheers,

Mr. Bellemont

I'll jump in here.

Depends on what you actually admitted to, if anything, on the FBI polycrap exam.  If you apply for a government job requiring a clearance,  there will probably be a BI.  I don't think mere squiggley marks on a chart will disqualify.  The people doing the BI might not even be state dept security types.  Might be contractors.  They might not think much of polygraphy either.

And remember, there is plenty of inter-agency rivalry over obtaining people with critical skills.

Screw the FBI, and horse they rode in on.  The NSA poly-mob reported me to the FBI after my polygraph and I got a call from them (the FBI) wanting to meet with me.  I refused to meet with them and nothing ever happened over it.

The only way I would say, No, don't waste your time, would be if you're talking about applying for a TS job requiring a polygraph interrogation.  In that case, you're still dealing with federal poly-cops.

Good Luck,

TC

Dear George W. Maschke, or any other knowledgeable maven,

First, thank you for a thoroughly informative website.  Regrettably, I realized the importance of this website only after it was too late.

I was a candidate with the FBI for a critical language.

There is no need to recount the gory details of my "failed" polygraph here.  Similar stories have already been posted in great abundance on these pages.   

Since I have already been raped, as it were, my question is a "triage" question.  After reading the information on this website, I understand that not only will I be blacklisted for life from the FBI, but that I will most likely be unable to obtain any government position requiring a clearance.  It is on this last point that I have a clarification question.

I have also applied for a position with the State Department, and before me lies a typically long and consuming application process.  I am trying to weigh whether it makes sense to continue my application in light of my "negative" FBI polygraph.   

State requires a Secret level clearance for this position.  Normally, passing this is a breeze.  Thus I am tempted to believe that there would be no negative repercussions on my State Department application vis-a-vis my FBI poly "failure"...tempted.   

So, to my question.  Now that the FBI has "failed" me on the polygraph, should I consider all government positions that require a clearance out of bounds, even if the clearance level is low (Secret), and even if the position is not related to intelligence?  I ask this because I am thinking it is possible that non-intelligence related agencies might be less inclined to reject someone simply on the basis of an FBI polygraph.  But I simply do not know.   

Thank you again Mr. Maschke for what is truly a valuable public service.   

Sincerely,

Mr. Bellemont