Sergio Gor – the director of presidential personnel who recently convinced President Trump to yank his Elon Musk-endorsed nomination for NASA – has yet to submit official paperwork about his own background needed for a permanent security clearance, according to multiple sources.
Gor, 38, is in charge of picking about 4,000 executive-branch staff to implement Trump’s agenda — and he’s done so by poring over old tweets, political donations and remarks to ensure loyalty to the president.
But three administration insiders told The Post that the vetter-in-chief has not turned in his Standard Form 86, or SF-86 – a more than 100-page set of questions required for officials who need security clearances.
Among the questions applicants must answer under threat of criminal penalties is where they were born and whether they have any foreign connections.
Gor claims to be from the island country of Malta, though an official there could not confirm his birthplace when provided his exact birthday, saying: “No acts are registered with the provided details.”
Gor declined to divulge his birthplace to The Post, other than to say it was not Russia.
Sources describe Gor’s failure to submit the SF-86 as of the time of The Post’s inquiries as rare, if not unique, among White House aides. He currently has an interim security clearance, as do some other Trump officials who are awaiting the completion of background checks.
An SF-86 “is the first step in receiving a security clearance. Everyone — EVERYONE — fills one out, even if they’re not going into a role that will ultimately need an activated clearance [such as] random comms people, administrative staff [and] legislative affairs,” a fourth source said.
“It seemed like a ‘The lady doth protest too much, methinks’ type situation. Like why are you going so crazy about not wanting to fill this out?”
Gor strongly opposed use of the SF-86 form during the presidential transition, claiming he was concerned about the “deep state” weeding out Trump’s picks.
“He was actively working to convince everyone, including the lawyers, that the SF-86 was unnecessary and that Trump could just provide everyone with a clearance through his executive authority,” the fourth source said.
“He basically argued that the ‘deep state’ could corrupt the clearance process by weaponizing the SF-86 and background check investigations.”
The time-consuming form, which kicks off a review involving the FBI and Defense Department, is typically submitted by everyone who works in the White House, but rare exceptions can be made with presidential approval.
“He basically argued that the ‘deep state’ could corrupt the clearance process by weaponizing the SF-86 and background check investigations.”
The form includes questions on place of birth and all former places lived, foreign contacts and family members, foreign funding, drug use and more.
Trump administration and White House officials canvassed by The Post as part of its investigation said they would have gladly skipped over the lengthy process, but that virtually everyone they know submitted the paperwork, which usually is done before starting work.
The White House told The Post that Gor has “completed the form” but would not say when he intends to submit it.
“Sergio was distrustful of the FBI, as were many others in the administration. However to date, he has completed the form and he has an active security clearance,” said a White House official, referring to Gor’s interim security clearance.
White House counsel David Warrington added: “Mr. Gor is fully compliant with all applicable ethical and legal obligations. His security clearance is active, any insinuation he doesn’t maintain a clearance is false.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “Sergio Gor is a trusted advisor to President Trump and he has played a critical role in helping President Trump staff the most talented administration in history. It’s sad the New York Post is engaging in baseless gossip rather than focusing on how the Trump administration is tackling the issues impacting our country and world.”
Gor’s rising star: ‘He’s done a great job’