FBI Responds to Request

[SecondChancePoly]

Here's a brief synopsis:  I recieved an inconclusive result on my FBI polygraph test several months ago.  I was told that I would recieve a re-test within three weeks.  Two weeks later I recieved a rejection letter from the FBI.  Got online, read the book, wrote a letter to the Director of the FBI claiming that I had not been scheduled for a re-test.  Fast forward several months>>>>> Earlier this week I received a call from the FBI saying that they had recieved my letter and are now ready to give me a retest.  Guess what? I already accepted and have a job in the private sector that pays twice as much with far more promotion potential.  After the way that I have been treated by the FBI, I am going to stick with the company that has treated me so well in such a short period of time.  I would take it just to clear my name but the problem is that I work 70 hours a week.  What do I tell the FBI without sounding like the re-test is a waste of my time, and thiers?

[yankeedog]

Why not just send them a professional letter explaining that although you appreciate the opportunity to continue in the employment process, you have accepted employment with another company.  

[George W. Maschke]

SecondChancePoly,

I think yankeedog's suggestion makes a lot of sense. As for clearing your name, you may wish to file a Privacy Act request for your FBI file to find out what admissions (if any) your polygrapher may have attributed to you. (Presumably nothing too serious, otherwise it's unlikely that you'd have been offered a "re-test.")

On the other hand, if you're really concerned about not having an inconclusive polygraph outcome as the last thing in your FBI file, you may wish to just take the necessary time off from work, take the Bureau's asinine "test," and then decline the job offer. (Of course, on the "re-test," there is always a chance that you'll be arbitrarily accused of having employed countermeasures.)

[SecondChancePoly]

Thanks guys.  I think I am going to go with yankeedog's suggestion.  By the way, great job on the book.

[guy]

Hey, I am in the process of appealing my FBI rejection. I am wondering what the exact number of months is when you say "several".

I wrote my first appeal letter five weeks ago, got the poly rejection about two months ago, and took the actual poly in July.

Based on this when do you think they will realistically get back to me? Did you also write to the recruiting chief or only to the Director? I probably should forward my letters to him. You only sent one letter in total? Did it simply ask for a retest or did it give specific reasons why you felt you were entitled to one? My examiner claimed I would be retested too but a few weeks later I got a kindergarten education level rejection letter. Thanks for your help.

[SecondChancePoly]

Guy,

I simply wrote 1(one) letter to the Director explaining that it would be in the FBI's best interest to adhere to their standard of integrity by delivering on their promise to give me a retest.

[guy]

so can you tell me how many months exactly it took before the FBI responded? thnks

[SecondChancePoly]

Guy,

With two letters from congress and repeated appeals showing no progress, I would rely on your talents.  I thought that I would contribute to my wonderful country's national security, but unfortunatley they rely on voodoo science that WAS WRONG, in my case.  Don't take it to hard, keep your head up.  It's probably God's plan for you.  If you made it to the final round with the FBI like I did, then of course you have several marketable talents, concentrate on those and two years from now, you'll understand why it was in your best interest to let your FBI anger disapate.

Once you look outside of the Federal Law Enforcement Glass, you'll realize that, "if its meant to be, then its meant to be."  

As a final note, in my case, and trust me, its the FBI's loss, because I am a highly successful individual, and thats why I think that they came knocking on my door after one letter.

Post Script: Read The Lie Behind The Lie Detector.  I got my FBI File.  No wonder they were so persistent in getting me back into the employment process.  My polygrapher and PSI agent wrote good things about me.  It was DC that nixed me.  Oh, well.  I suspect that the FBI is having problems retaining recruits!

[George W. Maschke]

Guy,

I respectfully disagree with SecondChancePoly's fatalistic suggestion that your having been falsely accused of deception by the FBI is "probably God's plan for you." It is instead the predictable result of reliance on a procedure (polygraph screening) that is completely without theoretical basis and has absolutely no validity.

It's time to follow up your unanswered letter with another one. You may wish to reference your earlier letter and enclose a copy of it.

Have you requested release of your FBI file (including polygraph records) to you under the Privacy Act? If not, I strongly suggest you do so promptly.

As I mentioned in another thread, you may also wish to contact attorney Mark Zaid <ZaidMS@aol.com> about possibly joining the ongoing federal polygraph lawsuits that he is litigating. Apart from e-mail, you can also reach him at his new office phone number, (202) 223-9050.

[guy]

Thanks SecondChance. I agree with you. The FBI is over-blown. My letter writing campaign is more about getting my name back than wanting to work for them. McDonalds is a more professional organization. Hell, the cartoons on the back of their happy meal containers are more professionally written than the FBI polygraph rejection letter. Peace.  

[steincj]

I too am awaiting some sort of reply form the FBI regarding my appeal to my failure.  I don't think that they will be willing to re-test me, though, since my polygrapher accused me of being a spy.

It has only been a month since the FBI recieved my appeal letter, and I'm already out looking for another job (career).  Since my intelligence background and TS clearance is marrerd by this false accusation, I basically have to start over.

But SecondChance, I have to totally disagree with you.  Take a personal day and get back on that machine.  Clear your name, let the FBI get all excited that you will move on in the process, and then write them a letter resigning form the application process, telling them that you don't want to work for an agency with such a lack of integrity.  

That's what I would do, well, if I got a second chance.  And if I had a good job . . .


Chris

[Fair Chance]

I too am awaiting some sort of reply form the FBI regarding my appeal to my failure.  I don't think that they will be willing to re-test me, though, since my polygrapher accused me of being a spy.

It has only been a month since the FBI recieved my appeal letter, and I'm already out looking for another job (career).  Since my intelligence background and TS clearance is marrerd by this false accusation, I basically have to start over.

But SecondChance, I have to totally disagree with you.  Take a personal day and get back on that machine.  Clear your name, let the FBI get all excited that you will move on in the process, and then write them a letter resigning form the application process, telling them that you don't want to work for an agency with such a lack of integrity.  

That's what I would do, well, if I got a second chance.  And if I had a good job . . .


Chris

Dear Chris,

You are traveling the right path.  The FBI will usually respond within two months if your appeal letter is going to work.  I would follow up with another letter to the same person in the first with a copy of the original enclosed asking about the status of your request.  Do not write to anyone other then the name of the refusal letter until they have stated that they will not give you another test.

Unless you confessed or admitted to the accusations, they are just that, accusations.  The whole situation that you are going through is upsetting to a person who is being completely honest.  Hang in there and give it some more time. I am going on my third test with the FBI.  The first was inconclusive and the second extremely accusatory like yours.  I guess the third will be the tiebreaker.  The prescreening CQT without any investigation or background is a roll of the dice.  It is a shame that they have to drag your name through the mud with a test that even many professional polygraphers have trouble with using it in prescreening.

Regards.

[Skeptic]

Unless you confessed or admitted to the accusations, they are just that, accusations.  The whole situation that you are going through is upsetting to a person who is being completely honest.  Hang in there and give it some more time. I am going on my third test with the FBI.  The first was inconclusive and the second extremely accusatory like yours.  I guess the third will be the tiebreaker.  The prescreening CQT without any investigation or background is a roll of the dice.  It is a shame that they have to drag your name through the mud with a test that even many professional polygraphers have trouble with using it in prescreening.

It's also ridiculous that, were this an accurate determination of truth or falsehood, they would ever give a second test in the first place.  The magical disappearance of a drug problem from one test to another should tell them something!

But then, maybe the stars weren't aligned correctly the first time.

I feel for you guys, and want you to know that all of us who have gone through polygraph sessions and been interrogated for alleged "reactions" know polygraph results have nothing to do with your integrity or truthfulness.

Skeptic

[Fair Chance]

It's also ridiculous that, were this an accurate determination of truth or falsehood, they would ever give a second test in the first place.  The magical disappearance of a drug problem from one test to another should tell them something!

But then, maybe the stars weren't aligned correctly the first time.

I feel for you guys, and want you to know that all of us who have gone through polygraph sessions and been interrogated for alleged "reactions" know polygraph results have nothing to do with your integrity or truthfulness.

Skeptic

Dear Skeptic,

Chris was accused of being a spy despite his many years of service in the government (information from another thread).  My second polygraph operator did not like my "breathing pattern."  I was ignorant of polygraph procedures during my first two exams.  I let the polygraph operator know of my knowledge of polygraphs and I did not use countermeasures on my third exam.  Chris nor I were accused of drug usage.  I know The Lie Behind the Lie Detector but I do not think that two negatives equal a positive.  My examiner is not being fully honest with me but I must take the higher ground and be honest with him.  Some one has got to try to stop this madness.  I will know the final results of my polygraph soon.  I have always tried to do my job as faithfully as possible despite the repercussions.  As I stated in my first few posts, I am used to doing the hard thing despite how it might affect my income or career.  I want to look in the mirror every morning and be able to like the person that I see.  It is not heroic.  Sit through "Saving Private Ryan," "Blackhawk Down," and "The Longest Day," that is true heroism.

Regards

[Skeptic]

Dear Skeptic,

Chris was accused of being a spy despite his many years of service in the government (information from another thread).  My second polygraph operator did not like my "breathing pattern."  I was ignorant of polygraph procedures during my first two exams.  I let the polygraph operator know of my knowledge of polygraphs and I did not use countermeasures on my third exam.  Chris nor I were accused of drug usage.  I know The Lie Behind the Lie Detector but I do not think that two negatives equal a positive.  My examiner is not being fully honest with me but I must take the higher ground and be honest with him.  Some one has got to try to stop this madness.  I will know the final results of my polygraph soon.  I have always tried to do my job as faithfully as possible despite the repercussions.  As I stated in my first few posts, I am used to doing the hard thing despite how it might affect my income or career.  I want to look in the mirror every morning and be able to like the person that I see.  It is not heroic.  Sit through "Saving Private Ryan," "Blackhawk Down," and "The Longest Day," that is true heroism.

Regards

Fair Chance,
Your story is very similar to my own.  After two R/I exams in which I received post-test interrogations, I was brought back for a third (one that gave me the impression that they were trying to wash me out).  Only during the third test was I asked about knowledge of countermeasures and research into polygraphy, and I answered all questions honestly (perhaps foolishly so).  My knowledge obviously did not please the polygrapher, who threatened me with dismissal if I used countermeasures.

Having heard nothing for a month and a half (despite repeated attempts at finding out my status) and after my extremely negative polygraph experiences (which i did not relish having to repeat every five years or so), I decided to pursue other avenues of employment.

Skeptic