Is anybody an expert on security clearances?

[Hippo_Tron]

I've been curious about how security clearances work for politicians and political appointees.

When you apply for a job at the CIA, they do extensive screening and background checks and reject people for things like drug use that occurred decades ago and the process usually takes up to a year.

Now if you're a political appointee like lets say White House Chief of Staff, do you get the same security clearance without the red tape? Is the government going to deny the President's choice for White House Chief of Staff a security clearance for his previous drug use? I would imagine that they would not. I also imagine it doesn't take a year for them to screen him if they even screen him at all. How does that work?

Secondly if you're a senator and you sit on a committee like lets say Intelligence, you have access to sensitive information. Do these senators have to get a security clearance to see this information or are they entitled to see it by law?

[leftofcool]

1. If you are a civilian

you have to be working for a company that requires a security C or you can't get one. There are several classes of these. Prior drug use will not necessarily keep you from getting an SC, if you don't lie about it. neither will a dui. It works pretty much the same way for politicians and their clearances go by level. The background check takes longer for a civilian, usually years and you get a temporary one until you pass the check for a permanent one. Most people never get the permanent one. Military ones are different but also go by levels

[elleng]

2. Senators entitled to see it,

but bushees only show it to those they 'like.'

[fed-up]

3. obviously DUIs and prior (and current) drug use do not prevent one from becoming President nt