Subject: deep dive proposal
From: "Cassandra Butts" <[email-masked]>
To: "John Podesta" <[email-masked]>, "Michael B Froman" <[email-masked]>
Cc: "Varney, Christine A." <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2008 00:16:54 -0400

Attached and to follow is a brief memo laying out our thinking on how to
move forward on the next step of the vetting process or the "deep dive." As
you will see by the proposed dates, we will need to move forward quickly in
assembling the legal teams necessary to carry out this process, so we hope
to chat with you about it tomorrow following the transition meeting if
possible.

Memo

To:      John Podesta and Mike Froman
From:  Cassandra Butts and Christine Varney
Date:   October 3, 2008
Re:      Deep Dive Proposal
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For all individuals selected to go through the deep dive (the "subject"), we
recommend the following:

Process:

1.    The subject be contacted by a senior official and asked if they are
interested and willing to go through the deep dive process described below
in order to be considered for a Tier I position.

2.    The next contact with the subject will come from the senior outside
lawyer leading the deep dive team for that individual.  The lead will
explain the process to the subject, including:

•    provide the subject with a copy of all required forms that must be
completed, including the SF86 for the FBI background check; the appropriate
committee questionnaires, the SF 278 Financial Disclosure; and schedule an
interview for the subject with the lead lawyer of the deep dive team (the
interview team) [?and a transition representative?].

•    notify the FBI to begin the background check with the completion of
SF86 (if that has not already been done in connection with obtaining
security clearances for the transition effort);

•    have the subject sign a consent form to provide access to credit
reports, driving, court, medical, and other relevant materials needed beyond
the required forms;

•    ask the subject to compile needed tax returns;

3.    The deep dive team will proceed to pull together and review credit
records, bankruptcy, liens and judgment data, court records, driver records,
etc. prior to the interview.

4.    The deep dive interview team will interview the subject, covering all
the material provided and retrieved prior to the interview.  The interview
will go into an in-depth and candid review of all issues that could impact
confirmability or job performance, including family life, finances, medical
history, etc.  The interview will be conducted using a standard
comprehensive outline of questions and topics.

5.    As necessary and appropriate, the team will conduct a follow-up
interview and interview references.

6.     The lead lawyer on the deep dive team will then report orally their
findings to the appropriate senior transition representative.  The oral
report will be accompanied by a written summary.

Structure:

We recommend having ten teams up and ready to go as soon as practicable.
Each team would have a lead and be assisted by three or four attorneys.  The
leads would be senior lawyers, primarily in Washington, who are well-known
to the campaign/transition, have experience in the vetting process, and can
make the time commitment.  Each lead would, in turn, assemble a team of
three to four attorneys – in consultation with the transition – to assist in
the deep dive.  We envision a deep dive to take approximately ten days,
depending upon the responsiveness of the subject.

We propose assembling ten teams by mid-October and doing trainings with the
team leads no later than Saturday, October 25th.  With a goal of making a
limited set of announcements shortly after the election, we would like to
begin the first six to eight deep dives by October 26, at the latest, in
order to conclude by November 5th.  We estimate we can then do up to 10
names every seven to 10 days thereafter in order to have approximately 30
senior appointments ready for confirmation as soon as possible after the
inauguration. We expect to grow the number of deep dive teams needed to
expand our post-election capacity.

A senior transition group (we propose to take the lead working with Mike)
should coordinate handing out assignments to the team leads, following up on
status, and answering questions from the team leads.  When the deep dive is
done, the lead lawyers will prepare both a written and oral report to be
delivered directly to John.  All paper will then be destroyed.

We strongly recommend that this process maintain a flat management structure
that consists of the team leads reporting directly to the designated senior
transition leads.