A Review of FBI Security Programs

identified, these individuals can be given financial counseling. Finally, the FDF can assist
in determining which employees should be polygraphed, and it can help polygraphers focus
polygraph examinations, SIs conduct reinvestigations, and adjudicators make clearance
decisions.
Pursuant to Congressional mandate, the CIA requires that all employees and
contractors cleared for staff-like access submit FDFs annually, which are made available to
financial investigators, adjudicators, and counterintelligence specialists. Initially, some CIA
employees opposed the financial disclosure program as an invasion of privacy. To address
this concern, the Agency began extensive briefings on the necessity for financial information
in light of the Ames case.
Most CIA employees file financial information electronically and have electronic
access to past years’ data. Filings are processed by computer and, if certain thresholds are
reached, they are reviewed by financial analysts for mistakes, omissions, and explanations
for problem areas. If the analysts cannot explain the data, the employee is interviewed and
databases may be checked. If this does not resolve the issues, the case is sent to the
Financial Investigations Branch or referred to the Counterintelligence Center.
The Financial Investigations & Analytical Units
Many Intelligence Community studies and personnel security specialists have
concluded that the ability to “follow the money” is an essential component of personnel
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