The government accidentally issues interim security clearances to 'murderers' and 'rapists'


A massive backlog of government security clearance reviews has led to "murderers" and "rapists" being able to access potentially sensitive national secrets, The Associated Press reports. With a 700,000-person review pileup, even agencies like the Defense Department have "inadvertently issue[d] interim passes to criminals," AP writes.
More than 4.3 million people have government security clearance to some degree, with 3 million people at the "confidential" level and more than a million people with "top secret" access. In addition to federal employees, many with clearance are private contractors.
The pileup stems from the fact that there is no quick and thorough way to check someone's background. Additionally, the government broke off a contract with a company that helped it do investigations back in 2014 after a security breach. Now, in an effort simply to get things done, the government has been issuing interim clearances, but those too prove to be minefields.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"I've got murderers who have access to classified information," said U.S. Defense Security Service director Dan Payne. "I have rapists. I have pedophiles. I have people involved in child porn. I have all these things at the interim clearance level and I'm pulling their clearances on a weekly basis."
The Defense Department is already exploring alternative ways to improve vetting its employees and contractors. A new system of "continuous evaluation" has led to 48 people losing their clearances, The Associated Press reports.
Vetting "is one of these processes that have been unchanged for decades," explained the Marine Corp's director of intelligence, Maj. Gen. Michael Groen. "It's screaming for a different way to do business." Read the full report here.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Jack Draper: can Britain's Wimbledon hopeful unseat Carlos Alcaraz?
In the Spotlight 'Volcano of emotion' smashes his racket during defeat in Queen's semi-final but world No.4 shows 'fighting spirit'
-
Crossword: June 23, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
How far would Russia go for Iran?
Today's Big Question US air strikes represent an 'embarrassment, provocation and opportunity' all rolled into one for Vladimir Putin
-
Trump's LA deployment in limbo after court rulings
Speed Read Judge Breyer ruled that Trump's National Guard deployment to Los Angeles was an 'illegal' overreach. But a federal appellate court halted the ruling.
-
Marines, National Guard in LA can detain Americans
speed read The troops have been authorized to detain anyone who interferes with immigration raids
-
Trump vows 'very big force' against parade protesters
Speed Read The parade, which will shut down much of the capital, will celebrate the US Army's 250th anniversary and Trump's 79th birthday
-
Smithsonian asserts its autonomy from Trump
speed read The DC institution defied Trump's firing of National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet
-
Trump sends Marines to LA, backs Newsom arrest
speed read California Gov. Gavin Newsom is filing lawsuits in response to Trump's escalation of the federal response to ICE protests
-
Trump foists National Guard on unwilling California
speed read Protests erupted over ICE immigration raids in LA county
-
Supreme Court lowers bar in discrimination cases
speed read The court ruled in favor of a white woman who claimed she lost two deserved promotions to gay employees
-
Trump-Musk relationship implodes in taunts, threats
speed read Musk said Trump's multitrillion bill would cause a recession and accused the president of involvement with Jeffrey Epstein