Judge, fearing "Sleeper Cells", rules in favor of universal background checks

Judge Otis Wright has ruled in favor of NASA and against a group of JPL employees in a case regarding invasive background checks that would allow the questioning employees of sexuality, medical records and finances. These were ordered by presidential directive in 2004 for all national laboratories, of which JPL is one. "...I want the security of this nation preserved,'' Wright said Monday. "I don't want any sleepers infiltrating NASA or JPL.''

Apparently a bunch of uneducated turbaned guys hanging out in caves in Pakistan might be able to put "sleeper cells" into positions in NASA or JPL that don't even deal with classified information but that will still threaten the "security of this nation", even though this was something that clearly wasn't even a possible threat from the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Link: SPACE.COM.