Stated another way - when you say this:
The variable SITMember might possible be undefined if the query is unsuccessful.
That is a true statement, but by using await and setting the variable breakNow to TRUE in the case of an unsuccessful query, then testing the value of that variable after the query has been completed assures that in either the case of a query error or an unsuccessful query response the function will return to the caller with a status of unsuccessful set in the response body and the code below using SITMember will never execute.
Only in the case of a successful query will the code continue to execute and at that point SITMember is initialized appropriately.
That is what this lint checker is apparently not able to surmise, which is why I want to be able to disable it.