‘VERIFY more’ is TNT ed board mantra for 2017 election

From The News Tribune (Tacoma, WA) Editorial Board:

As people seeking office strive to burnish their credentials, being part of the vetting process is a duty we take seriously. We’re honored to be a small cog in the electoral thresher as voters try to separate the wheat from the chaff.

But how do we cut through all the big talk, ensuring that candidates are who they say they are and have done what they say they did? It’s an important question, especially in an age when some politicians hide embarrassments and failures, embellish professional or educational resumes, and commit acts of stolen valor with regard to military service.

CandidateVerification.org is a reputable Puget Sound organization that works with one of the world’s largest screening companies, Sterling Talent Solutions. Overseen by a bipartisan board, CandidateVerification has won praise from Democrats and Republicans alike. It asks folks running for office to consent to a level of scrutiny comparable to what many job applicants go through. And really, that’s what candidates are doing: applying for a job to represent us in government.

The screening includes a multi-state criminal records check, a nationwide review of sex offender registries, plus an inspection of county and federal civil records reaching back 10 years. It also examines any job, school history or other resume credential a candidate agrees to have independently verified.

Think of it like a political Carfax report before you kick the tires on a first-time candidate — or a way to double-check a veteran politician you might’ve seen on a previous ballot. The Spokane Home Builders, one of many clients that uses the nonprofit’s services, describes it as “endorsement insurance for our members.”