Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience. Q: I am a senior in college and I have lined up a job as a consultant for a firm working with government agencies. They want me to fill out a SF-86 for TS/SSBI. I have used marijuana a total of five times, the last time occurring two years ago. Two years ago, I also tried mushrooms once. Lastly, I have two underage drinking tickets from 2011. I haven’t used anything…
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Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience. Q: I was an employee of a company that was a contractor for a federal agency. A federal employee threatened to fire us if I refused to overlook misconduct on the part of several employees. Eventually, this is what did happen. There have been multiple audits and investigations of the situation. Does any recourse exist against the threats, harassment, and retaliation perpetrated by the federal employee who was making fraudulent misrepresentations?…
Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience. Q: Can a federal employee move from a GS-13 operations lead position to a contractor project manager position for the same contract company that had the operations contract? A: If you are talking about yourself, the answer to your question should come from your designated agency ethics official (DAEO). That person will answer your question. If you are talking about someone else, you can report your concerns to an IG hotline…
Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience. Q: I have worked as a contractor for over nine years with 30 other contract employees. Recently three contract employees were made federal employees, but the rest of us were still contractors. Is it legal for the government to promote only certain employees? How does the government choose which jobs become federal positions? A: This question cannot be answered fully without knowing the hiring authority under which the other individuals became…
Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience. Q: Who can I talk to about an inspector making public profanity comments in a public building to me? As background, I am a contract security guard. An inspector was explaining something to my partner and when I asked a question he yelled at me and used profane language. A: I assume the inspector you mention is a federal employee. As a contract employee, you should report the incident to your…
Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience. Q: Is it legal for a retired military officer to take a contractor job doing the same job he did as when in active duty? A: Yes, someone can come back as a contractor and do the same job, but with certain limitations. That person cannot represent a contractor or work on the same matter they worked on as a federal employee. To make sure ethics rules are not being violated…