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Can you ask the government recruiter what they think before going through the full background check?

A 1L classmate of mine smoked weed in undergrad and went straight through to law school. They asked their recruiter about it after they landed an honors spot (so about a year after their most recent drug use). The recruiter told them it's unlikely they'd pass the background check and to withdraw their application so it wasn't recorded, in case they wanted to take a federal job later. They withdrew and did something else that summer.

There is no question in my mind on how to answer the form.

The SF-85P form asks "In the last year, have you illegally used any controlled substance, for example, marijuana..."

At the bottom, by the signature, it says "My statements on this form . . . are true, complete, and correct" and that a "knowing and willful false statement on this form can be punished by fine or imprisonment or both."

Answering untruthfully is perjury and a federal crime. That is WAY worse than smoking weed. I do not know whether smoking weed will be disqualifying, but lying on this form may get you barred from ever working in the Federal Government. (It could even be a character and fitness issues for bar applications.) Do not perjure yourself.

As far as whether to proceed: I know of a person that had a pot brownie in spring break in Amsterdam during college, and got DOJ clearance for USAO internships in law school. They submitted a short statement explaining, and they cleared the background check and did the internship.

But college spring break 5 years ago is different than law school six months ago. You're in a tough spot.

snip

Don't lie. Especially now that you've posted about it. You might not get this job, but if you lie and are caught you will never be able to get a federal job in your life.

lawschool04! wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 15, 2020 2:55 pm

Don't lie. Especially now that you've posted about it. You might not get this job, but if you lie and are caught you will never be able to get a federal job in your life.

Forget federal jobs, this would be a big character and fitness problem in OP's future bar application. Say goodbye to any legal job at all, period.

I'd ignore the recruiter's advice and tell the truth. Lying is just too risky. The question for the recruiter is: does this disqualify me from the job?