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Ethical (?) dilemma

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Started 2 years ago by Tenzo
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Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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I'll try to make this short

Received a letter from 'Federal investigations processing center, United States office of Personnel Management.' saying our name ...'has been provided by the person identified below to assist in a background check... You were listed as SOMEONE WHO CAN VERIFY THIS PERSON'S RESIDENCE'

Well that's easy. I check of the multiple boxes confirming I know the person and they lived where they say they did.
Then on the bottom it asks; "Do you have any reason to question this person's honesty or trustworthiness?" and "addition information which may have a bearing on this persons suitability for security clearance"

Oh shit. Do they mean besides her telling me that she shoplifted, falsified time to her employers and lied to her friends?

So I start thinking
1) ehhh it's just a residence verification, I'll fill out that part and leave the rest blank.
2) That's kind of like lying. Pisses me off that the person put me in this position.
3) ehh, screw it. We have all fibbed to our boss and friends.
4) Wait a minute. Exactly what job is this for? Clerk, yeah ok, let it slide. FBI or judiciary, heck no. I wouldn't want to contribute to that. Plus this is federal.
5) Goddamnit, why did she pick me!?
6) Jobs are hard to find and a negative report would impact her employability with a government security clearance forever.
7) Is that a good or bad thing?

So I have four options.
1) Throw away, pretend I didn't get it.
2) Fill in the residency part and send it in
3) Fill it all out and lie (don't like this option
4) Fill it out to the best of my ability and knowledge (damn the consequences) and send it in.

Anyone want to give me independent advice? I'm afraid my feeling may be influenced. She always spoke poorly of people when they were not around. I generally avoided her for that reason.

Posted 2 years ago #
Tigertree
771 N. High St.
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Tell the truth.

Posted 2 years ago #
nexttuesday

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If you don't even like this person, don't stick your neck out. Throw it away or tell the truth.

Posted 2 years ago #
JonMyers
HCMC ✈
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Are you required to return this form? If not, I would not send it back.

If you do send it back, I would be straight up about how you feel regarding this individual's honesty.

Posted 2 years ago #
sixby9is42

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Tell the truth. She had to refer more than one person, so it's not like she'll be able to blame a specific person if she doesn't get the job.

Posted 2 years ago #
myliftkk
Columbus, OH
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I guess the only real pertinent things are whether she shoplifted within recent memory (not something she did as a teenager), and falsfied time with her recent employer (I'm assuming she fudged more than 5 minutes). If so, then I would probably register your doubts.

I was interviewed once on the trustworthy issue by the gov't when my best friend went to get his clearance to be stationed in a nuclear weapons silo.

Posted 2 years ago #
rus

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If you send it back, be honest.

Posted 2 years ago #
LBOWACC

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I go with verify residency. That it, I wouldn't lie nor would I put that shit in. No reason to fuck over someone else.

Posted 2 years ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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It's a tough one.

If this is a person who had a few slip ups and has largely reformed, I'd fill it out honestly and offer your assessment of their change in character. The shoplifting will more than likely be on a record (depending on the case). Chances are if she was fudging time, the employers had a clue and there was probably other negative things. Doubt she'd be getting a good reference.

On the other hand you can always let it conveniently fall behind the desk, pushed back behind the pile of junk mail.

Posted 2 years ago #
blammo
in the shadow of the wonder of bread
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i give the government as little information as possible

Posted 2 years ago #
Matthew
Hilltop
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I'd consider the consequences. Can the person get hold of these records via court order in the future? Could your comments be found libelous? Does it affect you that much?

Personally I'd toss it. If you're having these issues then the best bet is to respectfully mind your own business.

Posted 2 years ago #
Bear
The woods
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Guess I'd say it depends on whether the shoplifting, falsifying time to her employers and lying to her friends struck you as situational or dispositional behaviors. If they were one-time things that this person did when young and foolish, or drunk, or in order to cover for someone else, or, who knows -- perhaps they were three stories out of three thousand that she told you, and in the other 2,997 she was Mother Theresa --, they might not recur and therefore may not reflect the sort of characteristic tendency that the questionnaire is clearly looking for. If, on the other hand, they reflect an ongoing series of actions taken without regret or hesitation, this sounds like someone who is more disposed to engage in dishonest behavior in general, and I'd say check the box and send it back.

Posted 2 years ago #
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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myliftkk wrote >>

I was interviewed once on the trustworthy issue by the gov't when my best friend went to get his clearance to be stationed in a nuclear weapons silo.

Holy cryp!
OK, that's the strongest reason I could ever have thought about for filling it out truthfully and sending it in.

Posted 2 years ago #
agtw31
columbus
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she's probably applying for a data entry position at the FBI data center in WV.
i dated a girl that worked there,she could type over 100 words a minute,and that was slow.
you could just pitch it,if you have a problem with filling it out.

Posted 2 years ago #
myliftkk
Columbus, OH
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Tenzo wrote >>

myliftkk wrote >>
I was interviewed once on the trustworthy issue by the gov't when my best friend went to get his clearance to be stationed in a nuclear weapons silo.

Holy cryp!
OK, that's the strongest reason I could ever have thought about for filling it out truthfully and sending it in.

I'll clarify... if that's what she's up for, you'll be getting a long phone call, not a letter.

Posted 2 years ago #
rus

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myliftkk wrote >>

Tenzo wrote >>

myliftkk wrote >>
I was interviewed once on the trustworthy issue by the gov't when my best friend went to get his clearance to be stationed in a nuclear weapons silo.

Holy cryp!
OK, that's the strongest reason I could ever have thought about for filling it out truthfully and sending it in.

I'll clarify... if that's what she's up for, you'll be getting a long phone call, not a letter.

It's a different agency. DSS handles military background checks.

Posted 2 years ago #
10sun
Columbus, OH
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I'd try to just put a quick one-liner that may be true, but perhaps a bit hyperbolic.

"Collects toe-nail clippings in a jar on her desk", for example.

Verify everything else and send it in.

No reason you can't have a little fun.

Posted 2 years ago #
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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agtw31 wrote >>
she's probably applying for a data entry position at the FBI data center in WV.
i dated a girl that worked there,she could type over 100 words a minute,and that was slow.
you could just pitch it,if you have a problem with filling it out.

Well, there is an area to explain it. So I'm leaning toward filling it out to the best of my ability.

The only thing that bothers me is the offhanded comment, as an adult, that she shoplifts cosmetics from the local Macy's. I remember it vividly as a WTF! moment. She obviously saw nothing wrong with it.

Still don't understand why I would get it when she lives over 300 miles away and I have not communicated with her since we left in June of 2008.

I'm thinking "mentioned casually that she shoplifts cosmetics from a local department store" and let them figure out to do with it. The other items are somewhat subjective.

Posted 2 years ago #
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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rus wrote >>

myliftkk wrote >>

Tenzo wrote >>

myliftkk wrote >>
I was interviewed once on the trustworthy issue by the gov't when my best friend went to get his clearance to be stationed in a nuclear weapons silo.

Holy cryp!
OK, that's the strongest reason I could ever have thought about for filling it out truthfully and sending it in.

I'll clarify... if that's what she's up for, you'll be getting a long phone call, not a letter.

It's a different agency. DSS handles military background checks.

Yeah, I remember two FBI agents in suits showing up at my door three years ago. I opened the door and they introduced themselves and showed me their ID. Talk about seeing your life flash before your eyes and searching for what you did wrong.....

Guy across the street was applying to the FBI and they said they interview the neighbors.

Does this happen to other people?
Am I taking this much to seriously?

Posted 2 years ago #
sixby9is42

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Tenzo wrote >>

rus wrote >>

myliftkk wrote >>

Tenzo wrote >>

myliftkk wrote >>
I was interviewed once on the trustworthy issue by the gov't when my best friend went to get his clearance to be stationed in a nuclear weapons silo.

Holy cryp!
OK, that's the strongest reason I could ever have thought about for filling it out truthfully and sending it in.

I'll clarify... if that's what she's up for, you'll be getting a long phone call, not a letter.

It's a different agency. DSS handles military background checks.

Yeah, I remember two FBI agents in suits showing up at my door three years ago. I opened the door and they introduced themselves and showed me their ID. Talk about seeing your life flash before your eyes and searching for what you did wrong.....
Guy across the street was applying to the FBI and they said they interview the neighbors.
Does this happen to other people?
Am I taking this much to seriously?

I haven't had the FBI show up at my door, but I did have to do a mail response and phone interview for one, and just a mail response for the other. In the phone interview, I got questions like, "Do you believe *********** is faithful to the United States government?" No matter how well you think you know someone...

Posted 2 years ago #