Security Clearance Insight: New Driver, Same Old Bus . . . Navigating A New Administration And Handling Prior Mistakes

It is that magic time, every four years, when my email inbox and voicemail explodes with long-lost buddies dating from my years as a federal executive holding a security clearance.

The conversations normally start with a catch-up discussion of the prior two, four, eight, or 15 years since our last talk. Now, Washington is a rarified place. One of these recent discussions was with a corporate security officer handling a client's case. The last time we spoke, he was actually interrogating me as a witness, and he was the special agent. He overstepped his authorities and NIS was reorganized into NCIS as a result. But we just picked up like old fraternity brothers.

These discussions frequently shift and the caller's tone swiftly changes, and they then drop the name of some senior official or former client of mine who said they should call me to discuss "an uncomfortable situation." Awkward, to say the least. The discussions may then turn to adultery, drug use, financial