Homeland Security left a message attached to my doorknob

[Generic Other]

"A probable acquaintance of yours is being considered for a position deemed sensitive to the United States..."

Please contact ________ regarding this matter of official government business.

WTF? I am the government's best shot at finding a character reference? Holy shit. We are in worse shape than I thought!

Any other DUers have experience with this type of investigation? I've had it happen at work before, but do they normally contact you at home?

[MrBenchley]

1. Jeez-us!

Are they going to try to sell you Avon when they're done interviewing?

[Generic Other]

12. I wonder if Bob Boudelang is trying to get a job at the FBI?

This happened to me at work last April. At the time, I found it odd but explainable in the context of my having a working repationship with someone they were investigating. At the time, they asked me 100 questions (an amazing grilling given the paltry information I could provide. They also asked for my home address which I thought odd.

At one point they asked me if I thought the individual in question was loyal to the US. What? I hardly knew the person! I responded by saying I couldn't answer that question for myself let alone anyone else! He said he wouldn't write that down!

The question rattled me because it made me recall the 2 questions asked the Japanese Americans in WWII about forewearing allegiance to the emperor and proclaiming loyalty to the US.

So what did they think? That I'd now be a government informer for every fool they want to investigate in town? Fuck that. No more contact with these jackboots.

Sorry Bob B. Not even for you! :)

[markses]

2. A friend of mine (a Marine)

Was getting a psych work up to guard Clinton - this was back in 1993. We were all alerted that somebody might come to see us about him, but I never got a visit (other, closer friends of his did, however).

On edit: That said, I can't quite figure out what a "probable acquaintance" is!

[rangerfan]

3. Yes. When I got my initial clearance many moons ago

they went throughout my old neighborhood asking questions.

[plurality]

4. you're probably one of many they've contacted about whoever.

They just go through everyone they can find that knows whoever is getting a security clearance to make sure no ones heard him/her talking about how they'd like to sell shit to the Russians or kill the president or anything else that wouldn't help the US government for one of its employees to have done.

Standard Proceedure for security clearances.

[truthspeaker]

5. This is standard for security clearances

Nothing new.

[havocmom]

16. Had a teacher who was with OSS back before CIA. He told us it would

make our eyes pop out if we saw the sort of stuff official files contained. Told us if we ever had a neighbor who was a crank and/or annoyed about a barking dog, they could say just about anything and it would be included in an official file on us. He talked softly, slowly, and at great length to us one afternoon. He ended the talk with the words, "Kids, if you get nothing else from my class, get this: the government is NOT your friend."

He was my high school US History and my sociology teacher, so this was a very long time ago.

Ten years ago, I started seeing a gentleman who had a sort of military spooky past. I was followed for 3 months by the same 3 men (on a rotating shift sort of basis) in the same beige car. Finally stopped when one of them came into one of my work locations when the other employees had left and started chatting about some locations in an area of Europe which was becoming hot. Kept asking what I thought of the weather in ******** and stuff like that. He was defiantly NOT there to engage in a transaction relating to the business I was running. It was a very odd experience.

We are a people deluded into thinking we are free and private. We are neither.

[tom_paine]

6. Not personal experience, but tangential/anecdotal

This would seem to be normal.

Remember to lie like the Emperor* when they ask if your friend EVER did everything wrong.

No sir, the Emperor NEVER did any drugs, especially cocaine.

yes, the Emperor would turn in his own mother if he caught her stealing.

No sir, the Emperor NEVER stole ANYTHING ever, not even a gumball when we were kids.

The Emperor ALWAYS tells the truth!

There is a certain pleasure to lying to the Representatives of Tyranny, returning the favor.

And for now at least, every single of member of the Imperial Giovernment down to the janitors are indeed Representatives of Tyranny.

[Generic Other]

19. Okay I confess

The last time they visited me, they told me the name of the individual they were investigating and I looked at old grade rosters until I found the name. After they were done interrogating, I was rehashing the questions in my mind when I recalled something else about the individual. I went back to the grade roster and discovered that I had been talking about the wrong person all along. A simple misidentification. I never contacted the investigator to correct the error because--well--because those people gave me the willies, and I didn't want to answer all the questions again (which I couldn't have done because I had NO recollection whatsoever about the real person they were investigating. As it was I hardly knew the person I did answer questions about!

So, you think they are after ME now?

Honestly, I NEVER stole a gumball or betrayed the state in any way, sir. Not even in thought (fingers crossed).

on edit: oh, yeah. I sent copies of Michael Moore's book DUDE WHERE'S MY COUNTRY to soldiers in Iraq.

[Killarney]

7. Yeah, it's standard.

Depending on the level of clearance, they could go back and visit old college roommates, past co-workers, all at home. It's ok.

[AP]

8. You're not the ONLY person they ask. They talk to EVERYONE.

[Speck Tater]

9. Standard Practice when I got my Top Secret back in 1964,

I was in the Air Force and found out later that all my friends and relatives had been interviewed. This is nothing new, and nothing to be alarmed about.

[orthogonal]

10. It's an attempt to get an unbiased assesment

They ask applicants for the names of acquaintances.

If the clearance is sensitive enough, they ask those acquaintances (who, being named by the person being screened, will presumably only say good things) to name other mutual acquaintances.

Then the mutual acquaintances, who were not named by the person being screened are interviewed, in an attempt to get an less-biased assessment of the person being screened.

These days, even applicants for positions of extremely minor risk are screened.

When I was given a (very low level) screening, the investigator attempted to contact persons at my apartment, both neighbors and management. Fortunately, management (so the investigator latter told me, to my surprise) has a policy of being very closed-mouthed, and I knew no neighbors (I'm a rather private person).

But, as far as I can recall, none of the persons I named as acquaintances were contacted -- possibly because, if I recall correctly, as all were then employed by the Executive or Legislative branches of the Federal government.

[rpannier]

11. It's Common

When I first got mine they asked for a list of people and talked to them as well as people I had worked for, etc. It's pretty standard. Don't panic.

[Lugnut]

13. SOP as far as I know

One of my high school classmates was applying for a job with the FBI many years ago. FBI agents came to my home to ask me questions about him. He was a fine young man on every level so I was proud to provide the agents with my perspectives which were all very positive.

[GOPisEvil]

14. Probably a security clearance.

They're interviewing everyone this person knew.

[David__77]

15. I think this is long-time practice.

I would just reply with a general "so-and-so is of outstanding personal character."

[2Design]

17. jobs with clearance .....they go and ask neighbors, friends and family

this is normal procedure...

[juajen]

18. I had an FBI visit about a neighbor who was up for a promotion

in the military. Just ask general questions about what kind of neighbor he was, etc.

[Generic Other]

20. Those investigators with their big badges remind me of Abu Ghraib now

Can't talk to them anymore. Won't do it either. I'd see Lynddie England's face and gloved thumbs up.

That's what effect torturing prisoners has on this American's trust level.

[gauguin57]

21. 'Scuse me ...

... but what in the heck happens if your neighbor hates you because they don't like the smell of the flowering pear tree you planted in your yard? And they lie and tell the authorities you are making napalm in your basement for al-Qaeda?