Bill Richardson and Background Checks

Weeks ago, we read about how candidates considered for top jobs in the Obama administration would be subjected to historic vetting. Though some complained about intrusiveness, this was a sign that Washington was indeed going to change. Well, not so much.

With New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson’s withdrawal as Obama’s nominee for Secretary of Commerce because of a grand jury investigation into a firm’s contributions to two political action committees headed by Richardson and the award of a lucrative contract to the firm by the New Mexico Finance Authority, the blame game has started, according to the Washington Post. Richardson’s people say the investigation had been widely reported. Richardson didn’t even mention it on a background questionnaire, complains the O team.

Well, you know, you do a background check to verify disclosures and to discover things not disclosed. Once Richardson was nominated and the FBI began its own background check, it discovered the grand jury investigation immediately. The Obama team either missed it or failed to comprehend its radioactivity.

It’s not uncommon for the background checks of candidates for top positions in an organization to be given short shrift or not done at all. Such candidates are usually close to an executive already there (like Richardson to Obama). “Yeah, I know we’re turning over every rock, but this is Bill Richardson.”

It’s another reminder that background checks should be taken seriously, especially for people at the top. You can obtain an HR Executive Special Report on background checks from M. Lee Smith Publishers, as well as a CD of an audio conference I’ve done on background checks by calling MLSP at 800-274-6774. Sorry for the plug, but it’s obvious that even a background checking team as expert and dedicated as Obama’s could use some help.