Introducing BackTrack® Public Office

• August 26, 2024

By: Marcia Watt-Juell

BackTrack®

First Advantage is a global leader in innovative background screening solutions that help our clients manage risk and make sound decisions. OurBackTrack®report has been an industry leader in the investigative due diligence field since 1993. 

Over the course of 30 years, more than 121,000 reports on 42,000 individuals and 16,000 firms have been produced. Using a rigorously refined pipeline process that involves extensive cross-team collaboration, we help ensure that critical details are not overlooked. Our highly skilled team of professional researchers brings a wealth of experience with an average of 10+ years with First Advantage and 15+ years in investigative due diligence.

BackTrack® Public Office

In the fast-paced, ever-evolving, and increasingly complicated landscape of politics and the online environment, the decisions made by companies to endorse and/or financially support candidates running for public office hold a significant weight. The integrity and reputation of your organization could be impacted based on your company's alignment with certain candidates.

At First Advantage, we are dedicated to helping our clients navigate the complexities of political candidate research with confidence. Whether you are a PAC, 501(c)4, a union, or an advocacy group involved in political activities, our goal is simple: to provide you with the assurance that the candidates you decide to support and put your name behind have been thoroughly screened.

We understand the value and critical importance of having thorough background information about individuals running for public office before any decision is made to endorse a candidate, and by using our time-tested due diligence process with our BackTrack® report, you will gain peace of mind to make well-informed decisions.

Leveraging our cutting-edge research tools to collect and analyze crucial data points, your organization will receive investigative reports that include the following:

• Comprehensive litigation searches in jurisdictions associated with the candidate's known address history. Civil, divorce, bankruptcy, and federal, state and local criminal records searches will be conducted, as well as a search of our National Criminal File - a database search of millions of criminal records, with 6,000 to 8,000 new records added daily covering 50 states plus Washington D.C. and Guam. Confirmed legal actions are summarized in an easy-to-read format to provide you with a clear understanding of the content.
• A search of the National Sex Offender Public Website is conducted.
• Adverse media and social media checks are performed. Social media and any potentially adverse information in requested areas of focus or concern are provided and configurable for your review.
• Federal, state, and local political campaign contribution databases are researched.
• Employment, education, and license verifications are conducted to provide valuable background about a candidate's credentials and experience.
• Other searches are also performed that include global sanctions, regulatory databases, offshore leaks, patents, current assets, Uniform Commercial Code filings, business affiliations, and motor vehicle records.

Why Public Office Screening Matters

In March 2024, the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) labor union rescinded its endorsement of Kahllid Al-Alim, a Los Angeles school board candidate, following the discovery that he had "reposted and/or liked social media posts with content that was antisemitic, pro-gun or pornographic," behavior which the union later publicly stated it "condemns."¹ First Advantage's social media screening check can be configured to report any potentially adverse and/or derogatory content associated with the subject.

In November 2021, Georgia Secretary of State's Office opened an investigation into a former mayoral candidate for the city of Atlanta, Kirsten Elise Dunn, due to criminal history including "running for office with a felony conviction, allegedly stiffing campaign staff out of thousands of dollars, and violating campaign finance laws."² First Advantage's social media screening check flags any adverse and/or derogatory content associated with the subject. The First Advantage BackTrack® report is inclusive of a candidate's criminal history.

In 2018, aWorking Families Partycandidate for Bend (Ore.) House seat, Amanda La Bell, lost her party's endorsement³ due to reportedly misrepresenting her educational background. Detailed verification of a candidate's educational background is included in all of our candidate due diligence reports.

Through our meticulous investigative process our clients gain an in-depth view of a candidate's background in a concise and uncomplicated format.

Contact us today at844.717.0510to discuss how we can help with your political candidate research!

Sources:

[1]

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-03-04/la-teachers-union-drops-school-board-endorsement-of-al-alim-as-voting-ends

[2]

https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2022/02/07/this-is-bad-look-no-background-check-georgia-political-candidates/

[3]

https://www.wweek.com/news/2018/09/18/merkley-brown-rescinds-their-endorsements-of-embattled-bend-house-candidate/

 

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