Contractors Clearing Contractors Shows U.S. Secret Access Spike

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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-20/contractors-clearing-contractors-shows-u-s-secret-access-spike.html

The U.S. government is increasingly relying on contractors to conduct background investigations for security clearances like the top-secret access granted to Edward Snowden.

The ranks of contract workers helping to do background checks on contractors and federal employees swelled 15 percent to almost 6,800 last year from fiscal 2011, according to the Office of Personnel Management. The agency’s spending on investigative services jumped 16 percent to $474 million last year from fiscal 2009, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

“The backlog for government and private-sector employees awaiting clearances continues to be huge,” said Stan Soloway, chief executive officer of the Professional Services Council. The group represents companies such as CACI International Inc. (CACI), which is among the contractors that have benefited from background investigation and clearance work.

The growing use of contractors has sparked scrutiny from lawmakers about the quality of the background investigations, particularly after former contractor Snowden leaked a secret surveillance program. The demand for clearances reflects the expansion of U.S. intelligence missions since Sept. 11, 2001.

***our privatized and monetized government is a cluster
fuck.