A little perspective on the current confidential document issue.

 

I worked undercover for the State Police in organized crime and narcotics investigations. Undercover work is dangerous work. I had officers who were kidnapped by the bad guys, forcing one officer to dig his own grave before escaping. Another made an amazing escape by jumping out of a moving car and running zig zags to avoid the bad guys' bullets. Our undercover officers and agents are risking their lives everyday.

 

Up to 2 years ago, I held a Top Secret clearance. Making me familiar with all the clearance issues involved in the current Mar-A-Lago search event. In the process of getting a clearance (Confidential, Secret, Top Secret) the applicant has to report all places lived, visited, teachers, friends, associates, schools, activities - in short he/she must bare his/her soul. It takes weeks, sometimes months to obtain all the facts and information required to complete the exhaustive application. The government does its best to make sure a person with a clearance is a responsible patriot. That hard earned classified clearance is backed by corroborated facts showing a lifetime of service and confirmed actions, a history that convinces the government the applicant won’t directly or inadvertently reveal secrets that are attractive to an enemy or anyone who doesn’t have a need or right to know.

 

And, it doesn’t stop there. The whole background investigation process is repeated on all clearances every few years. Those who have held clearances know how arduous and important this system is to our safety and future. 

 

So, imagine being a spy and working in a hostile foreign government (who you know would kill you in a minute) to obtain information that may save the lives of many Americans and allies. Further imagine, your methods of obtaining information or even your identity are in a classified document X. Your life and others connected to you rely on keeping document X from the eyes of the enemy. You need to know that document is protected and concealed and limited to only those eyes who have a need to know. Nobody else. Not even friendly eyes.

 

Thus, the need for an absolutely secure system for classified and sensitive documents. Our lives depend on it.