Auditor’s National Guard position unaffected by probe

So far, state Auditor Troy Kelley’s position as a lieutenant colonel in the Washington National Guard is unaffected by the federal investigation that led U.S. Treasury Department agents to his home this month.

Kelley is a National Guard lawyer who “mentors and trains” other military defense attorneys, said Washington National Guard spokeswoman Karina Shagren.

He had no obligation to disclose the federal investigation to the military, she said. Army policy would require him to notify his leadership about a conviction. His case is not at that stage.

Kelley would have to reveal his knowledge of a federal investigation into his finances during a renewal of his security clearance, said Colby Vokey, a retired Marine lawyer who now is a civilian attorney.

That’s when authorities would look for information that could be used to bribe a holder of a security clearance. Security clearances tend to be renewed every five to 10 years.

Shagren confirmed that Kelley has a security clearance, but she would not describe what level of classified information it allows him to read. The National Guard also would not say when Kelley last renewed his security clearance.

Kelley has served in the Army Reserves and the National Guard for more than 20 years. Since being elected state auditor in 2013, the Army has sent to South Korea twice for 12-day assignments advising command staff at U.S. Forces Korea.