Knowing what a normal law abiding US citizen has to go through to get a clearance it makes me sick to know that they hand them out like candy if you know the “right” people.
Most of the people in DC would NEVER EVER pass a real background check.
In DC, the critical question is never “Is he loyal to the USA?”
The vital question is always “Is he useful to my career, and can I count on him to keep his mouth shut about my crimes?”