The bureau says applicants can still be disqualified, but certain past conduct involving prostitution may now receive contextual review rather than an automatic hiring ban.
The FBI has changed its applicant-screening approach so that some past involvement in prostitution is no longer an automatic bar to employment, according to the bureau and people familiar with internal guidance.
Under the reported standards, applicants remain subject to disqualification if the conduct occurred within the previous 10 years, happened three or more times, or took place while the person held a position of trust. Other cases may be evaluated in context during the bureau’s extensive background-check and polygraph process. Meeting an eligibility threshold does not guarantee a job offer.
The FBI said the change is meant to account for circumstances including conduct in places where prostitution is legal and applicants whose disclosures may stem from past sexual abuse. The bureau said it continues to exclude applicants who engaged in criminal sexual acts and maintains rigorous suitability standards.
CBS News, citing people familiar with a June 16 internal memo, reported that the updated guidance also affects certain disclosures involving theft from an employer and conduct involving animals. CBS reported that an applicant who stole from an employer may no longer face automatic disqualification if the incident was more than three years old, and that some conduct involving animals before age 18 could be considered. The FBI said its changes are narrowly tailored to rare circumstances, including cases involving childhood sexual abuse.
The change comes amid wider scrutiny of FBI recruitment and staffing practices. Former officials quoted in both reports raised concerns that loosening categorical exclusions could affect public confidence and create security risks. Other former FBI leaders said a fuller review can distinguish isolated conduct from a pattern that would make someone unsuitable for sensitive federal work.
Existing Justice Department rules still prohibit employees, contractors and subcontractors from soliciting prostitution, including where it is legal. Those rules address conduct during employment, rather than the standards used to assess applicants.
