[reeses]

It's not really that important for the CIA. They're pretty pragmatic, mainly because they have a huge hammer for minor offenses. They also believe in their ability to compartmentalize information.

Most of the time, when you go through the lifestyle clearance rigamarole, they're looking for any leverage someone might be able to use to coerce you to act against the employer's interests. Obviously, anti-government sentiment would be a flag, but you can get clearance by being truthful about the dishonest/illegal/etc. things you have done in the past, despite having done those things. In fact, willingness to disclose is a big trust builder.

It's about managing risk, which is why it's easy for me to believe that Marines and members of the LDS community would be given special consideration.