I’ve seen a few questions on here similar to my situation but mine is a bit different.
As the title says, I was not completely honest about my drug usage when filling out my SF-86 and my investigation interview over two years ago. To start it off, when filling out my SF-86 I didn’t include any usage, however when I had my interview, I did admit that I had smoked weed before and we went through the process of reporting that. However, I did not mention that I have done a few more drugs, such as mdma, lsd, and mushrooms. The last time I had done anything was a few weeks before that investigation interview, honestly this even slipped my mind because I was so nervous going into the interview (I know, I’m an idiot). I don’t really have any excuse for lying other than I was scared to admit to it.
Now fast forward to today. The investigation that I mentioned was around 2.5 years ago, and I have had my TS clearance for about a year now. I am working in an environment that I need to have it. I have not gotten a poly yet and I’m not sure when/if one is coming (I’m assuming one will eventually).
I am also beginning to look at other jobs in the cleared space. One of which I am starting the interview process with and has stated that a poly will be necessary. So basically I’m wondering how screwed I am with either this new job or when my review/poly do come around. I intend on telling them the truth with the poly of course, and the truth is also that I haven’t done any type of drug since the last time I mentioned over two years ago. I do understand though that I did lie to begin with and I fully admit that I was dumb.
Any advice is greatly appreciated and sorry if this question is asked too much.
“The last time I had done anything was a few weeks before that investigation interview”
You did illegal drugs a couple weeks before your BI interview, reported it, and still got cleared? Or are you saying you reported the drug use before but didn’t report the incident several weeks before? Either way you are in a bad situation. You can report it now and there’s a high chance your clearance will be revoked anyway, or you can wait it out and get it revoked when they find out on the poly.
I didn’t report the incident several weeks before.
Yeah I figure it won’t go well either way. But now with the other question, if I start a job at a different company, how do you think it would go with being truthful? I’m definitely going to disclose everything if I apply and such but would it basically be an instant denial or would it be a different process.
The way I see it here… 1) you can remain silent and take a chance down the road; 2) you can admit this now and prepare for worst; or 3) find different that doesnt require TS or such. Regardless, I think it will be prudent to consult a reputable security clearance attorney before you make any decision on this.
We are talking about a clearance attorney not a criminal attorney. Criminal action is not going to happen.
If the government decides that they don’t want to grant your clearance and you decided to appeal, there will be a government lawyer on the other side and a judge sitting to make the decision. You have the option of representing yourself but you have a far better chance of prevailing if you have a lawyer on your side.
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I am also beginning to look at other jobs in the cleared space
Highly recommend you don’t. I will be brutally honest. You are not trustworthy. Coming clean now to save the eligibility for cleared work is simply not going to work. You will say what you feel you need say to get what you want. You will not have a successful poly experience if you lie about any of the use.
Even the ones you forgot. Claiming you forgot some…will not be credible. Why? Because you proved you lie. And you falsified a clearance form. Use while cleared…is a different animal than use prior to clearance. Is there case law proving folks survived? I am sure there is. But withholding significant use, multiple types and and then forgetting even more…is not going to be credible. You have not yet been revoked but I would anticipate it, polish the resume for non cleared work, and wait for the inevitable. Or, you can resign, take uncleared work, wait 3 years minimum, reapply for cleared work and detail all use while cleared. That would be the most honorable way to make it work. Or give it the highest chance of working.
I don’t think that the OP said anything about using while cleared . . . He said that he used just prior to the subject interview but it sounds like it was an initial application.
Kind of confused me; he said he was not honest 2.5 years ago, has a clearance now for a year, used a few weeks before the interview, and mentioned numerous drugs. I may have lost the bubble on which investigation interview he was referencing. Sounded like he used while cleared at the TS level. OP any input to clarify?
Sorry for the confusion…Hopefully this explanation will be better:
Over the course of my life I have used multiple different drugs. Never any kind of addiction or any lengths of extended use (just a few times a year for about 3 years or so). I stated none of this on my SF-86. The last time I used any kind of drug was maybe a month or two before my Initial security interview, before having any kind of clearance. I have not used any kind of drug since obtaining a clearance or since that interview. I felt guilty and did end up confessing in my interview that I had smoked weed before but I neglected to tell them about the other occurrences and drugs used.
I understand that I lied and I’m not trying to excuse my way out of it. I guess I’m trying to find my best course of action moving forward. The way I see it is that I can either report it now and hope for the best (but I’m probably guaranteed to lose my clearance), or I can wait until my poly and then tell the truth during it which will still probably result in a loss of clearance.
My other point that I was talking to was that I am interviewing for another job at a big software company that is looking for cleared individuals. In some way I was hoping that I could still go through with the interview and poly for that job, find out if I either pass or fail their clearance process and then continue with life either way. But the way I understand it is that if I fail that clearance process for them, my current clearance would also be stripped.
I think it will be viewed as falsifying a government form, and weighed heavily. Continue to not use. Put time between you and the events but at the first opportunity you will need disclose this with the polygrapher. You get that opportunity up front, they write questions to cover those areas. It is a difficult subject to discuss during an initial interview. Nobody wants to openly admit breaking the law and coming across wrong. There is a certain amount of understanding IMHO people will not want to disclose things to the security office but would discuss with the government clearance authorities. I myself faced a misuse of prescription drug (followed label) that I needed to talk to Poly about. I’m glad I did. I cleared. And 5 years later came through the next set of poly’s as well. I can tell you personally, this is something that may be overcome…if you follow the right paths now. Full disclosure, do not hide anything on the Poly.