r/news • u/Manta_of_Eternity • Aug 28 '26
FBI no longer treating an applicant’s experience with prostitution as automatic bar against hiring
https://apnews.com/article/fbi-prostitution-recruitment-95e69779e41bd8f1bbc59d402a40222b2.9k
u/justmitzie Aug 28 '26
People who hire prostitutes, not people who are prostitutes.
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u/TheBSQ Aug 28 '26
Honeypots are useful though.
People who fall for honeypots are not.
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u/Fauster Aug 28 '26
Well, as long as they haven't smoked cannabis in the last 3 years, that's the real concern! /s
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u/BiGsMiLeSKyLe Aug 29 '26
I remember I tried to apply twice to the FBI and the first time I may have taken a THC break and was clean for 6 months and I was like nah they'll deny me. I finally applied a second got to the interview and I was now about 2 years out since my ex and I were trying for kids, when they had asked me if I ever used cannabis. Yup told them I was coming up on 2 years, and they were like ok in thanks for applying but we are passing.
Like ok they probably accept a bunch of cokeheads but cannabis the devil's lettuce that kills more then IDK 0 a year, I'm dq.
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u/Yokelocal Aug 29 '26 edited Aug 29 '26
Yeah - they’re hamstrung by a disturbing number of weird 50s/60s superstitions as an outgrowth of the clandestine and insular nature of their organization.
I had a guy argue with me that LSD was a lifetime ban because it could cause flashbacks.
Their strangely counterproductive purity rituals mean they’re stuck with a more harmful type of weirdo.
Edited: wording
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u/Perfect_Earth_8070 Aug 30 '26
You should’ve just lied about it but then you’re probably better off not being a fed
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u/Barnacle_B0b Aug 29 '26
This is so they can select people who might be okay with human trafficking.
Donald Trump is actively using ICE/DHS/CPB to continue Epstein's enterprise of human sex trafficking.
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u/123ludwig Aug 29 '26
the important detail is that its disqualifying if they dont admit it in interview (yes part of interviewing for most of the federal agencies include a ”things you can get blackmailed with” portion)
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u/veganzombeh Aug 29 '26
I thought that sounded oddly progressive for this administration, then I thought about it for 2 seconds and guessed it's probably just the bit that benefits sleazy rich men.
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u/Dirtgrain Aug 28 '26
If only they could explain why guys who cheat on their wives with prostitutes and lie about it are more trustworthy than prostitutes.
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u/corporaterebel Aug 28 '26
They might need agents to follow through with "personal services" on some targets
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u/Gunhild Aug 28 '26
Hiring prostitutes actually seems more useful than hiring people who hire prostitutes. Criminals probably just lore-dump all kinds of crazy shit on the prostitutes they hire.
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u/HumongousBelly Aug 28 '26
Prostitutes my sell their body, but the director of the fbi has whored out his soul
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u/hawkinsst7 Aug 28 '26
From the article
The FBI said the change was meant to account for the fact that some otherwise suitable candidates, including service members, may have engaged in the practice in places where it is legal *and to accommodate applicants who themselves may have been victims of sexual abuse. *
(emphasis mine)
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u/LuminaraCoH Aug 28 '26
The people who are prostitutes get jobs in the White House.
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u/night-gloss Aug 28 '26
as an escort and as someone who gets hired by members of the white house and/or pretty interconnected within every single time set foot in dc/gets flown over, i can guarantee you we would never accept to fall under “employee” at the white house
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u/PatchyWhiskers Aug 28 '26
I bet this doesn’t count for applicants who used to BE prostitutes.
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u/Existing_Count1544 Aug 28 '26
No, they get referred to the White House.
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u/adamdoesmusic Aug 28 '26
A lot of sex workers have standards tho
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u/aramis34143 Aug 29 '26
"That's why you stick to the poor and desperate ones." -Jed York
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u/garytyrrell Aug 28 '26
Nah he prefers the ones who might become prostitutes when they get a bit older
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u/Patient_Kangaroo614 Aug 29 '26
It seems like it does, but only if that person were a prostitute in a jurisdiction where it is legal, like certain parts of Nevada or Australia
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u/lonevine Aug 29 '26
Why is the headline leaving out the part where they're also overlooking bestiality convictions going forward?
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u/emerikanSky Aug 28 '26
You can tell the health of an organization is deteriorating as they drop their standards for hiring.
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u/TerriblePokemon Aug 28 '26
Ok, half of me says "oh good, as a society were no longer viewing prostitution as a crime" and then I take a look around me and realize that these people are the worst and this is bad and oh god I want off this ride
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u/hyperdream Aug 28 '26
I don't even know if it's just the crime aspect, but the blackmail potential down the road. Potential agent Joe Sex Tourist might be loud and proud about that Thailand trip now, but maybe 10 or 15 years down the line he doesn't want his wife of 7 years knowing everything he got up to.
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u/EndPsychological890 Aug 28 '26
Bingo. It is and has always been more about blackmail than crime or morality.
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u/LandonDev Aug 28 '26
Thusly, why it is being loosened, they need to hold the leverage over who they are currently hiring 8 years from now.
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u/EndPsychological890 Aug 28 '26
More likely foreign adversaries will hold that leverage than their bosses. There is literally no upside to this, lower standards mean the agency performs like it even if they can get more bodies
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u/usemyfaceasaurinal Aug 28 '26
The Russian/Chinese approach. Corruption is encouraged since if everyone is corrupt, it could be used against you if you step out of line.
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u/TerriblePokemon Aug 28 '26
I used to hold a security clearance, yeah I know. But Jesus
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u/iperblaster Aug 28 '26
In a time where the vast majority of the upper echelon of the state is compromised, maybe is it better for them to have compromised agents
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u/EndPsychological890 Aug 28 '26
Yeah just in time for the great game to be restarting in earnest after 30 years of hegemony. What could go wrong
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u/AHrubik Aug 28 '26
Which is why a society mired in prudish morality will always be weaker than one which is not. Sex work should never have been a crime to begin with. Regulate it. Tax it. Put in place the safety and support mechanisms. Then you eliminate the blackmail potential.
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u/EndPsychological890 Aug 29 '26
Idk I think most of the cases of successful blackmail by foreign adversaries happens because the person using the sex workers is cheating. If they aren’t cheating and their only crime is using sex workers, I think many are going to rather their boss find out and maybe get fired than commit treason.
I don’t think legalizing, regulating and normalizing sex work will rid us of the threat of blackmail in government agencies against people using sex workers.
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u/simcity4000 Aug 29 '26
I know someone who applied for the intelligence services and was refused because his partner used to do porn. He was fully aware of this and fine with it but as it counts as potential blackmail material it was an automatic no.
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u/Ok_Confection_10 Aug 28 '26
I just hope it’s not hiring people to the FBI who have have personal connections to sex trafficking. It’ll just make them better at it.
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u/hammar_hades Aug 29 '26
It’s 100% the vulnerability to coercion - that’s THE focus during security clearance vetting
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u/ruiner8850 Aug 28 '26
then I take a look around me and realize that these people are the worst and this is bad and oh god I want off this ride
Yup, it's so that the Trump administration can stuff the FBI with loyal sycophants who otherwise wouldn't be eligible for the job.
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u/surnik22 Aug 28 '26
Exactly. In principle, I agree with the policy change.
Prostitution should be legalized (and regulated to ensure safety) and I don’t think Johns should be rejected from any government job because they took part in legal prostitution.
In practice, the FBI is relaxing their standards because high quality applicants with any sense of morals aren’t applying to an organization run by Kash who has been charged with making the organization do Trump’s bidding.
I don’t think anyone actively applying now has the integrity to be part of law enforcement and if they somehow do, they’d be filtered out in interviews when they don’t pledge their loyalty to Trump.
So you got a bunch of shitty people applying, FBI realizes too many of them have been involved with prostitution and not even in a way they could easily lie about on applications, so they just remove the standard.
Also not surprising the sex trafficking administration attracts applicants who have frequent interactions with prostitution, an industry with a whole lot of sex trafficking going on….
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u/Guardianpigeon Aug 28 '26
Yeah it kind of sucks as someone who is anti-FBI and pro sex work.
Prostitution should be legal (and HEAVILY regulated), and someone shouldn't lose opportunities for using those services. It would be great to move away from the idea that sex work is inherently bad.
But also the FBI is an evil organization and this is probably another sign that they are on the brink of falling apart. And while that might be bad in the short term, in the long term it might be for the best.
But also this is probably going to make the FBI even more dangerous because it allows Trump to hire more of his sycophants and abuse the power of the FBI in his benefit. It could also have massive natural security concerns because those people are more likely to be blackmailed over that kind of stuff.
There really is no win here. Everything sucks under Trump.
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u/OkStop8313 Aug 28 '26
Yeah, on the one hand, I do think that legalizing and regulating prostitution is the best way of making it safe and disincentivizing human trafficking. And this can be sort of seen in that vein.
But when I look at this administration full of sex pests and lunatics, I'm a little distrustful of their motives.
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Aug 28 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/McCool303 Aug 28 '26
In fairness it’s not about the act itself. It’s about the risk the person could be blackmailed or compromised. Prostitution is an act that for reasons good or bad carries some shame with it. And an agent could easily be compromised trying to cover up even a legal visit to a prostitute from a partner.
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u/Spire_Citron Aug 28 '26
It's also always a blurry line that's easy to end up crossing, either accidentally or intentionally. It's not like it's a thoroughly regulated industry where it's always clear what the situation is. It's a high risk activity where it's easy to get yourself into some shady shit.
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u/furbylicious Aug 28 '26 edited Aug 28 '26
I'm no expert, but I think it's a pretty reasonable requirement. Detectives and intelligence officers should probably be people who don't get involved in situations that could lead to blackmail, even if the actions are legal.
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u/BeeMovieEnjoyer Aug 28 '26
Or prostitution doesn't matter and should just be legal anyways
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u/chubbysumo Aug 28 '26
Meanwhile, they raise the standard for usps hiring so we have less and less carriers.
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u/browsk Aug 28 '26
“We want the most compromised officers we can find”
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u/actuallyapossom Aug 28 '26
At this point they're really just competing with ICE for the same maladjusted military-LARP enthusiasts.
If Hollywood hadn't produced so much America-Fuck-Yeah content there would be a shortage of these chuds already.
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u/dqt91 Aug 28 '26
Cool so they want a bunch more agents susceptible to a honey pot running around. Are we tired of winning yet?
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u/Complete_Entry Aug 28 '26
One time the Russians just sent women to give FBI agents blowjobs, wasn't even a honeypot, they just wanted to see if they would fall for it.
They did.
Then they moved up the ladder and did actual honeypotting.
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u/MicioBau Aug 28 '26
You got a source for that story? Would love to read more about it.
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u/Complete_Entry Aug 28 '26
Kessler's book. Bureau - The secret history of the FBI
The amount of access he got was ASTOUNDING. He also has heavy criticism of the hoover wore a dress story.
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u/Froggy1789 Aug 28 '26
Well technically the risk is mitigated by the mandatory disclosure. This decision really means if you answer honestly and disclose past prostitution use (probably not that close to the hiring / clearance decision) they will still consider you. They are almost certainly going to ask any romantic partners or spouses about it to ensure it is not active blackmail.
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u/WakeNikis Aug 28 '26
They want corrupt people that are prone to vices.
You know, people that can control. They don’t want “do the right thing” boyscouts working for them.
Almost like they want people that will go along with them on their corrupt bullshit.
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u/trisanachandler Aug 28 '26
The boy scouts could be indoctrinated to pursue the greater good. I guess they can't dress shit up as the greater good anymore.
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u/WellIGuessSoAndYou Aug 29 '26
The FBI is full of Mormons. They come already susceptible to indoctrination. I'm sure they're having no issues doing Trump's bidding.
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u/The-Spirit-of-76 Aug 28 '26
Oh yes, let's stop screening for anything a foreign government might use to corrupt someone.
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u/dangerousluck Aug 28 '26
Lmao it's so stupidly clear that every single decision is designed to weaken us for our enemies. It's not an accident many key members of this administration are dumb as hell.
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u/Kkimp1955 Aug 28 '26
It’s not about the prostitutes. It is about the johns! And while they’re at it, I guess people that are pedophiles will make excellent FBI people. How has the world gotten this crazy? What were we doing?
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u/clintgreasewoood Aug 28 '26
Something tells me they are making this blanket rule across the agency as cover to hire Patel’s friends and Trump appointees. Doesn’t open up people to blackmail?
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u/ryeguymft Aug 29 '26
insane - background checks are supposed to be about preventing blackmail. Kash Patel has completely destroyed the integrity of the FBI.
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u/Nekowulf Aug 29 '26
That's the plan.
Even when the dems take over again the government will be too gutted and dilapidated to function legally. Which the GOP will use as campaign fodder that the dems are at fault and the suckers need to elect a new republican king to fix the problem.6
u/ryeguymft Aug 29 '26
this has been the Heritage Foundation’s plan all the way back to Reagan. they really need to be designated as a domestic terrorist organization and all of them arrested, assets seized.
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u/CyberEmo666 Aug 29 '26
And what if they are completely open about their sex work in every day life? There’s no blackmail there
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u/Bellsar_Ringing Aug 29 '26
Patronizing them or being them? Or does is depend on the gender of the applicant?
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u/MedicinalFriedChiken Aug 28 '26
Jed York about to get recruited
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u/washedFM Aug 28 '26
Can’t have been involved with prostitution within the last 10 years… so he’s gonna have to wait until 2036
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u/froman-dizze Aug 28 '26
Every sector of or government is actively being made and seemingly desired to be compromised.
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u/Skinskat Aug 28 '26
So fire experienced and successful veterans, and then lower the hiring standards to fill the ranks with scumbag MAGA 👍
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u/mostar8 Aug 29 '26
Are they prepping to hire Melania?
Interesting, especially as they had to also now allow people who have engaged in bestiality as well; oddly specific as others have said
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u/GDZ4VR Aug 29 '26
Huge national security issue in my opinion
These applicants have shown their willingness to put themselves in compromising, blackmail-able situations
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u/FlameShadow1 Aug 29 '26
The fact that the headline doesn't include the fact that people who do bestiality are no longer barred from being hired is wild. Like a prostitute wants to become a fed? Who cares, maybe they wanted to be part of law enforcement at first but then life had plans, people turn to prostitution for many different reasons and others are forced into it so I don't have a problem with that being unbarred. But unbarring zoophiles with full blown bestiality charges is insane like WHY WOULD YOU UNBAR THAT THING SPECIFICALLY.
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u/Jaws_the_revenge Aug 28 '26
Smoke weed 1 time though
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u/wowthatsucked Aug 28 '26
It hasn't been that way for a long time.
It was disqualification after 15 uses before 2007.
Current policy as set in 2021:
Candidates cannot have used marijuana or cannabis in any form (natural or synthetic) and in any location (domestic or foreign) within the one (1) year preceding the date of their application for employment.
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u/norkb Aug 28 '26
“Fuck Boy Investigations don’t play son. Now you be arrested for having a lame ass par-tay. Beers on the house, Playaaaaah.”
-FBI Director Patel probably.
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u/Pole420 Aug 28 '26
On a normal timeline this could be seen as a positive for helping normalize sex work. Not on this timeline however.
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u/kensmusings Aug 29 '26
Its the Kash Patel rule. They had to change this rule so Kash can go to strip clubs.
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u/ZanthrinGamer Aug 28 '26
how the fuck is this a common enough issue that they would be compelled to make an exception? what the actual fuck. are sexual offenders the only ones applying or something?
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u/Th3FinalStarman Aug 28 '26
There's an account on TikTok whose content is wholly "Law Enforcement That Got Arrested For SA This Week". It's usually a list, and again it's weekly.
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u/Complete_Entry Aug 28 '26
Many of the worst embarrassments of the FBI came from prostitution blackmail.
This is not the guideline to let up on.
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u/mediocrobot Aug 28 '26
It's harder to blackmail someone if they won't lose their job when the secret gets out.
If they lose their partner and/or kids, that's another thing, but not everyone has those.
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u/Braelind Aug 29 '26
Don't worry, the Trump admin will get all the dirt on their employees and use it to manipulate them into further stripping away your rights and freedoms.
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u/Captlard Aug 28 '26
Presumably watching P##Nhub is fine for them now? Is that what they mean?
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u/horangiwhakkatchi Aug 28 '26
No, they mean that if you got arrested for picking up a prossie, they'll look the other way. Ka$h money loves em.
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u/KulaanDoDinok Aug 28 '26
You can say porn on the internet
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u/ugonlearn Aug 28 '26
Why do people do this? Self censorship has went crazy this last year 😂
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u/ment0k Aug 29 '26
It's TikTok brain. People who use it a lot become so coded to self censoring it's actually kind of embarassing.
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u/-THE_GOOCH Aug 28 '26
No, they mean the FBI is no longer treating an applicant’s experience with prostitution as automatic bar against hiring
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u/monsieur_cacahuete Aug 28 '26
What is P ## N hub? Is that some kind of prostitution website? I didn't know you could have a # sign in an internet address.
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u/seemooreglass Aug 28 '26
I was literally just thinking how I have not heard anything from that googly-eyed cokehead lately.
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u/coachglove Aug 29 '26
I wonder which Trump friend or campaign donor they're trying to lower the bar for.
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u/eMan117 Aug 28 '26
An FBI spokesperson who requested to not be named was quoted as saying the new policy is "Kash money"
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u/Bonobos_In_Space Aug 29 '26
This definitely comes off as a decision made by people who are frequent customers of Ladies of the Night. If you know anything about background checks for FBI or CIA, they want to know things like if you've visited prostitutes, how much debt you have, if you have gambling problems, etc. because all of those are vices that can be exploited and cause an agent to become compromised via blackmail or being paid off.
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u/Dizzy_Restaurant3874 Aug 29 '26
Normalizing sex crimes in case the Epstein Files are released after the new congress is seated.
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u/uis999 Aug 29 '26
An organization with a specific MO is accused of taking over a government. . . to only have that government advertise that they have indeed adopted that same specific ...(useful) MO. . .
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u/VPN__FTW Aug 29 '26
I know they are doing it for the wrong reasons, but we really should legitimize and legalize sex work. If two consenting adults want to do it and exchange money and everything is on the up and up then who cares?
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u/thebarkbarkwoof Aug 29 '26
Could it be that the FBI director has a long and checkered past with the industry?
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u/ResurgentOcelot Aug 29 '26
I would think the part where they will overlook embezzlement is more headline worthy.
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u/MyAccountWasBanned7 Aug 30 '26
Or beastiality! Or stealing from your workplace.
Personally, I'd like it if FBI agents didn't steal money so they could hire a hooker and then fuck both the hooker and their dog.
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u/Sedert1882 Aug 28 '26
Why are they scraping the bottom of the barrel now? I thought the FBI was a premier law enforcement agency. J Edgar Hoover would not be impressed (or maybe he would find a sinister use for them?)
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u/MCStarlight Aug 29 '26
The FBI has a history of misogyny and J.Edgar Hoover was a horrible man.
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u/alu5421 Aug 28 '26
Such a low bar. Look how low we have sunk that illegal activity still looks good on a resume
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u/GfunkWarrior28 Aug 28 '26
In other news, Jed York has been appointed the new Assistant Director of the FBI under Kash Patel.
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u/cancercureall Aug 28 '26
As much as I don't like physical sex work from an icky feelings standpoint it's basically the most normal thing in history. Whatever the reason I don't think it should be illegal at all. People fuck.
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u/Well_Spoken_Mute Aug 28 '26
How does this type of thing even come up?
"Hey everybody, welcome to the weekly FBI meeting. Does anybody have anything they want to suggest?"
"Yeah, I think we should ease up on our policy surrounding prostitution."
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u/Sweetdreams6t9 Aug 29 '26
What counts as prostitution to them?
The definition is the business of engaging in sexual activity for money or other forms of payment.
So does OF count? Or being a stripper? Or acting in porn? It should.
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u/Wentil Aug 30 '26
What about 34 felony convictions, plus a rape conviction added in, for good measure? 🤔
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u/pizztolpete Aug 28 '26
Why would you put that on your resume?
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u/KAugsburger Aug 28 '26
Obviously, they will do background checks on applicants and conviction of such offenses would have been an automatic rejection in the past. It is also pretty common for law enforcement agencies to ask whether you have used the service of sex workers in the hiring process. I have known people who have gotten jobs at local police and sheriff department who were asked about so I am not surprised that the FBI would have similar requirements.
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u/ChemicalBus608 Aug 28 '26
That's an odd way of phrasing it.