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Background Checks Criminal Records Economy Human Resources Miscellany Uncategorized

Should Politicians Undergo Background Checks?

I found this article on the opinion page of the Arizona Republic.   The writer, David S. Farrow, posed in interesting issue and that of politicians undergoing background checks.  Farrow maintains in his opinion piece puts forth that a mnimum wage security guard must undergo a background check.  So why not a politician?

Given the chicanery, financial misdealing, general corruption, and fraud that takes place in the political arena on all levels from federal to state to local governments, Farrow may indeed have a point.   Requiring all political candidates to disclose past criminal and civil records may be a step in the right direction for creating a better legislative body.  As Farrow contests, not all legislators practice due diligence on their political candidates.  I would go further and say that those who may want to practice due diligence may lack the resources and wherewithal to do a comprehensive job of it.  Some of the candidate’s darker history can slip right through the cracks.

Granted, the media does its job and there are citizens who perform due diligence.  But when you consider how many embarrassing instances rise up out of the body politic in the course of a year, you have to wonder if there were any past criminal or civil histories, any financial misdealing or associations that would serve as red flags with regard to the candidate’s behavior as an elected official.  The temptation is so great, after all, and more than a few have succumbed over the past couple of decades.   I think it is fair to say the honor system definitely has its limitations.  I can think of a few instances where researching a candidate’s civil and criminal history could be most revealing.  And in most cases, to be fair, nothing of consequence would show up on their records.  the majority of  candidates are pretty honest and relatively straightforward, considering they are in the world of politics.

So maybe Farrow is right and conducting background checks should be mandated as a logical procedure for political candidates.  It is an interesting concept to ponder.   That’s for sure.

By Gordon Basichis

Gordon Basichis is the Co-Founder of Corra Group, specializing in pre-employment background checks and corporate research. He has been a marketing and media executive and has worked in the entertainment industry, the financial, health care and technology sectors. He is the author of the best selling Beautiful Bad Girl, The Vicki Morgan Story, a non-fiction novel that helped define exotic sexuality in the late twentieth century. He is the author of the Constant Travellers and has recently completed a new book, The Guys Who Spied for China, dealing with Chinese Espionage in the United States. He has been a journalist for several newspapers and is a screenwriter and producer.