Drunk OPM Investigator

SECURITY CLEARANCE Q&A
#1

So this is probably not going to make me seem nice, but i figured I would ask you guys.

I have a friend who is an OPM investigator and he has a conviction for a DUI and one more alcohol-related charge coming up. I think he might be a high-functioning alcoholic, but i’m not qualified to make that diagnosis. For some reason, his boss has allowed him to keep his job, and i just can’t understand how that is even possible. My wife has a clearance, and she explained the whole process and how hard it is to be granted one.

The thing is, I don’t think my friend should be making any character judgements or be in a position where he’s trusted to make this type of work. Another thing, he’s always out of money because he pretty much drinks it all and has a lot of debt. He also has poor judgment and i wouldn’t put it past him to do something stupid just to get $ for his next drink or pay some debts. He already owes money to almost everyone he knows, and he just goes from bad to worse.

Is there someone we can report him to? His boss knows about his first DUI, but he doesn’t know about his second DUI-related incident. How can he be trusted with this line of work when he’s almost always under the influence?

#2

Because he is a FEDERAL EMPLOYEE and has union protection. Alcoholism is a disease and you cannot fire a Federal employee because they have a disease. Sounds like this guy need help. If you fired every Fed who drinks a lot, then there would be a serious thinning of the herd. Just because you “have a hunch” does not mean he cannot be trusted. If I had a serious, factual reason why someone might be a security risk, then I would contact the OIG (or JIC-Joint Intake Center) of that employee’s agency.
BTW: A “friend” would be trying to get him help, not get him fired.

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#3

DCSA has no union.
If you believe this is really a concern, you can go to the DCSA website and open the report an issue folder to get the reportable information.

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#4
DCSA has no union.

Are you sure DCSA isn’t in the AFGE union (American Federation of Government Employees) which covers DOD?

AFGE | Department of Defense (DoD)

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#5

IMHO, let it go. The boss knows about the prior DUI and the OPM/DCSA S/A is required to report the second one as well as other issues. Nonetheless my guess is DCSA will be notified about the second DUI arrest.

You could cause yourself trouble by inserting yourself in the situation and I’m sure his OPM/DCSA colleagues already have some degree of awareness about his issues.

Lastly, I think ratting anyone out, especially a friend, is a last resort or nuclear option kind of thing. And one where you must have rock solid inside information that someone is engaging in a undetected surreptitious activity which is actively comprising national security. E.g., your friend has a secret relationship with a Chinese CCP honeypot spy whom your friend is supplying with personnel data from a DOD lab.

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#6

Agreed.

Unless you’re in a position of authority to deal with the situation, the person, and the consequences, let the security records catch up to the person and the chips will fall.

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#7

we are not unionized.

#8

what an great friend you are…willing to snitch him out instead of helping him. its not like you work together and you’re forced to report it, you just have a “hunch feeling”.

well if it makes you feel better, your “friend” probably does not have much say in the outcome of an investigation. as long as he’s not too drunk and he gets his notes right, the subjects he interviews should be fine.

#9

So instead of trying to get your friend help, you’d rather report them, get them fired, have them possibly lose their clearance and prevent them from possible future employment?

You do know that would most likely have a negative effect on their alcohol problem right?

#10

Surprised so many are encouraging the original poster to butt out, assume it’s being handled, look the other way, everyone drinks too much, etc. To take the OP’s post at face value, a person holding a clearance has failed to report his second DUI-related incident, has serious money issues, and is an alcoholic.

The OP’s higher duty is to the national security, not to his friend. He should report his concerns:

https://www.dcsa.mil/mc/pv/mbi/report_others/

DoD Contactors and other Industry members should report potential insider threats to your company’s Facility Security Officer or the Vetting Risk Operations Center (VROC) Knowledge Center:

VROC Knowledge Center
8 AM to 5 PM EST, Monday—Friday
(888) 282-7682

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#11

Someone who drinks too much (in someone’s opinion) is hardly a potential insider threat .

#12

J23 states “I have a friend who is an OPM investigator”. The last I heard, OPM is U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Just go to OPM.gov if you have any doubts. An OPM Investigator is a Federal Employee.

#13

You need to brush up on your CDSE training. Substance abuse and addictive behaviors are an indicator of potential insider threat.

Heavy drinkers aren’t generally clear decision makers, especially over long periods of time.

#14

If he’s so bad how has he been riding the monkey wheel for so long? Everyone knows you can’t get away with anything on this job.

#15

YOU may not be unionized, but the The National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) is an American labor union which represents about 100,000 public employees in the federal government . NFFE has about 200 local unions, most of them agency-wide bargaining units AND The American Federation of Government Employees ( AFGE ) is the largest federal employee union proudly representing 700,000 federal and D.C. government workers nationwide and overseas would probably help a Federal Employee who was not being treated fairly.
Federal employees do not have to join a Union, but the Unions will help all Feds who are not given due process.

#16

Okay. So go ahead and yank everyone’s clearance who got a DUI or has a “friend” who thinks they drink too much (in their opinion). That solves the problem. J23 said “I think he might be a high-functioning alcoholic, but i’m not qualified to make that diagnosis”. So Harpoon, according to your logic, everyone who has a friend who thinks they might drink too much (but is not sure) should lose their clearance because they might be an insider threat. Get real. You are taking this way to seriously.

#17

I only said it’s an indicator of potential insider threat behavior and said nothing of revoking clearances.

Again, CDSE can help your understanding of the issue.
CDSE Insider Threat Potential Risk Indicators

#18

I’ll submit to you that there is no such thing as a “high-functioning alcoholic”. Believe me on this one! He would function far higher if he left alcohol out of his system. It is a disease that millions of people are afflicted with yearly. Be a friend and offer some help. All you can really do is love them through it. He’ll do the rest at his pace and time, even if it means dying from the disease.

#19

I have no doubt, I was an OPM agent and now I am a DCSA agent.

#20

This is an odd thread.

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