Bush Nominees Face Invasive Vetting Process

Dec. 27 -- Today, at least, they’re smiling. But in the next few weeks, many of President-elect George W. Bush’s cabinet picks may wonder what they’ve gotten themselves into as the FBI and IRS run them through the grueling “vetting” process.

“The process can be a little nerve-racking. It’s really a shock to the system for most people,” says Mark Gearan, President Clinton’s former director of communications and Peace Corps director from 1995 to 1998.

Previous cabinet members and other government appointees who endured the rigorous screening were hesitant to discuss their vetting, but in years past it has been described as invasive, humiliating and unpleasant. But it’s all worth it, they say, for a chance at one of the 6,000 highly coveted positions appointed by the president at the beginning of a new administration.

After candidates fill out a barrage of forms, revealing intimate details of their personal and financial lives, FBI and IRS agents investigate and reinvestigate to verify the information.

Agents talk with former employers, high school classmates, neighbors and ex-spouses, asking when the candidate came to work each day, whether he or she used drugs or alcohol or ever paid an employee under the table.

Disconcerting Process

Even for seasoned government staffers who have been through the process two or three times already, “it’s still disconcerting,” says Gearan, who is now president of Hobart and William Smith colleges and has been vetted twice in the past decade.

“The system really favors career civil servants. For candidates coming from the private sector, the complications that can bring [i.e. stock options] are amazing. I’ve seen it knock the wind out of people.”

To navigate this minefield, candidates in years past have had to hire high-priced accountants and attorneys. Previous appointees have claimed they spent between $10,000 and $60,000 on legal and accounting fees, just to make sure they filled out the forms correctly.

For higher-level appointments, there are four required forms plus whatever paperwork the Senate committee overseeing a particular appointment requires. (Blank forms are attached at right). The only completed forms that are made available to the public, the financial disclosure report, require 17 pages of instructions.