Lying doesn’t come easy to me . . . May 2008

These are the unforgettable words spoken by Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North when he testified before Congress regarding his role in the Iran-Contra scandal in the 1980s. Lt. Col. North was referring to his decision to lie about laundering millions of dollars from the sale of weapons to Iran to provide logistical support for Contra rebels and U.S. operatives fighting the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. Telling the truth, he believed, would place lives in danger.

Sometimes the line between lies and truth is not so bright or is mistakenly thought not to be so bright. Consider resumes. Job seeking candidates often view a resume as a “best foot” forward document emphasizing one’s personality, experience, and educational achievements. Conventional wisdom has it that a resume can be “fluffed.” Right? Wrong?

Dateline: Eagle Pass, Texas, population 22,413, border community located 131 miles West of San Antonio.

The interim city manager for six months very much wanted the permanent job. In an impassioned address to city council he extolled his accomplishments as interim city manager and dismissed critics who charged that he had lied repeatedly on his impressive resume. Council members praised his speech and set a special meeting when it would consider hiring him for the $85,000 a year job.

Elated, he looked forward to the hiring decision. Alas, it was not to be. His claim that he had worked as an assistant city manager in a nearby community and as an aide to a former U.S. Congressman turned out to be false. So too did his claim that he had earned three degrees from a major state university. His “degrees” were from an online diploma mill that sells degrees based on “work/life experience.”

When the hiring decision moment arrived, the council ended its 45 minute closed door session by announcing to a standing room only crowd that they had voted unanimously to fire him. The worse was yet to come for the interim city manager—he was arrested by the county sheriff on charges of fraudulently seeking a government job. He was released on a $5,000 bail and if convicted of a misdemeanor charge could get six months jail time and a $2,000 fine.

Lying doesn’t come easily . . . or does it?

Based on a real case. Sources: http://www.mysanantonio.com/ accessed 16 January 2008 & http://www.swtexaslive.com/node/5925 accessed 30 January 2008