Loading case…

ISCR 24-00064: Guideline H security clearance hearing, denied (2024) · CASE

ISCR Case 24-00064denied

Case headnote

ISCR Case No. 24-00064

deniedDec 5, 2024· Hon. LeRoy F. Foreman· hearing

Summary

A 32-year-old mechanical engineer was denied a security clearance under Guideline H (Drug Involvement) due to admitted substance use. The applicant acknowledged using marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, Adderall, and ketamine over an extended period.

Disqualifying conditions included admitted illegal drug use, a pattern of drug involvement, and the applicant's expressed intent to continue using marijuana despite federal law. While mitigating conditions were considered, they were insufficient to overcome the security concerns.

The denial was primarily based on the applicant's admission of ongoing illegal substance use, his stated intent to continue using marijuana, and a lack of evidence demonstrating rehabilitation or a commitment to abstain from drug use.

Why the applicant was denied

The applicant admitted to using various illegal substances over an extended period.
He expressed an intent to continue using marijuana despite acknowledging its illegality under federal law.
The applicant did not provide evidence of rehabilitation or a commitment to abstain from drug use.

Conditions referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 25(a)raisedSubstance Misuse
AG ¶ 25(c)raisedIllegal Possession of a Controlled Substance
AG ¶ 25(g)raisedExpressed Intent to Continue Drug Involvement

Mitigating

AG ¶ 26(a)appliedBehavior Unlikely to RecurThe applicant's use of ketamine was infrequent and occurred only once.
AG ¶ 26(b)rejectedAcknowledgment and Evidence of Actions Taken to Overcome Drug InvolvementThe applicant did not provide evidence of disassociation from drug-using associates or a signed statement of intent to abstain.

Key rule quoted

“Eligibility for a security clearance is predicated upon the applicant meeting the criteria contained in the adjudicative guidelines.”

Procedural posture

SOR issuedApr 20, 2024
Answer filedMay 9, 2024Requested decision on the written record.
Hearing heldDec 5, 2024Decision issued.
Decision dateDec 5, 2024

Cite for

Denial Based on Ongoing Drug Use Under Guideline H
Failure to Provide Evidence of Rehabilitation or Intent to Abstain
Consideration of the Whole-person Concept in Security Clearance Decisions.

Editorial summary generated for research. Not legal advice; not a prediction. Verify against the full decision before relying on any quoted language.

From the decision

Facts this decision states, each with the exact sentence it comes from. Descriptive of the record, not an assessment.

Age at decision: 32: “Applicant is a 32-year-old mechanical engineer employed by a federal contractor since May 2020.”
Tenure: ~4 years: “Applicant is a 32-year-old mechanical engineer employed by a federal contractor since May 2020.”
Held a clearance before: No: “He has never held a security clearance.”

Standardized Decision Profile

SEAD-4 Guideline H (Drug Involvement) · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: Decision on RecordDecided: denied

The judge found that the applicant's drug involvement raised significant security concerns, leading to a denial of his security clearance. The applicant admitted to using marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, Adderall without a prescription, and ketamine, with varying frequencies. While the judge credited the applicant's use of ketamine as infrequent, the overall pattern of substance use and the applicant's intent to continue using marijuana were deemed problematic.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation

Descriptive standardized rendering of a decided public case. The verbatim source decision is shown in full below.

Full decision

The complete, official text, footnotes and signatures included, is in the original PDF.

Decision text, by section

DEFENSE OFFICE OF HEARINGS AND APPEALS

HEARING

APPEARANCES

______________ ______________ DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DEFENSE OFFICE OF HEARINGS AND APPEALS EA c; ... o _.~ .t::~! ~ o \\ In the matter of: ) ) [Redacted] ) ISCR Case No. 24-00064 ) Applicant for Security Clearance ) Appearances For Government: Carroll J. Connelley, Esq., Department Counsel For Applicant: Pro se 12/05/2024

STATEMENT OF CASE

FOREMAN, LeRoy F., Administrative Judge: This case involves security concerns raised under Guideline H (Drug Involvement and Substance Misuse). Eligibility for access to classified information is denied. Statement of the Case Applicant submitted a security clearance application (SCA) on March 20, 2023. On April 20, 2024, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) sent him a Statement of Reasons (SOR) alleging security concerns under Guideline H. The DCSA acted under Executive Order (Exec. Or.) 10865, Safeguarding Classified Information within Industry (February 20, 1960), as amended; Department of Defense (DOD) Directive 5220.6, Defense Industrial Personnel Security Clearance Review Program (January 2, 1992), as amended (Directive); and the adjudicative guidelines (AG) promulgated in Security Executive Agent Directive 4, National Security Adjudicative Guidelines (December 10, 2016), which became effective on June 8, 2017. Applicant answered the SOR on May 9, 2024, and requested a decision on the written record in lieu of a hearing. Department Counsel submitted the Government’s written case on July 30, 2024. On the same day, a complete copy of the file of relevant

material (FORM) was sent to Applicant, who was given an opportunity to file objections and submit material to refute, extenuate, or mitigate the Government’s evidence. He received the FORM on August 15, 2024, and he did not respond. The case was assigned to me on November 6, 2024. The FORM consists of five items. Item 1 contains the pleadings in the case. Items 2 through 5 are the evidence submitted in support of the allegations in the SOR. Items 2 through 5 are admitted in evidence.

FINDINGS OF FACT

The SOR alleges that Applicant used marijuana with varying frequency from about January 2010 to about October 2023 (SOR ¶ 1.a), used cocaine with varying frequency from about January 2019 to about October 2021 (SOR ¶ 1.b), used ecstasy with varying frequency from about May 2016 to about May 2022 (SOR ¶ 1.c), used Adderall without a prescription from about May 2016 to about May 2022 (SOR ¶ 1.d), and used ketamine without a prescription in about October 2022 (SOR ¶ 1.e). In Applicant’s answer to the SOR, he admitted all the allegations in the SOR. His admissions are incorporated in my findings of fact.

Applicant is a 32-year-old mechanical engineer employed by a federal contractor since May 2020. He received a bachelor’s degree in 2014 and a master’s degree in 2015. He was employed as a mechanical engineer by a non

-federal employer from September 2015 until his employer was acquired by his current employer in May 2020. He is not married and has no children. He has never held a security clearance. In Applicant’s SCA, he disclosed that he used marijuana about twice a month from January 2010 to March 2023, used Adderall and ecstasy about twice a year at music festivals from May 2016 to May 2022, used cocaine about twice a year in social contexts from January 2019 to October 2021, and used ketamine once in October 2022. He stated that he intended to continue using marijuana because he was “optimistic about future federal legalization.” He stated that he did not intend to use the other illegal drugs because they were “not a significant value add to my life.” When Applicant was interviewed by a security investigator in June 2023, he stated that his future intent was “to continue driving his use [of marijuana] to zero within the next month.” He told the investigator that he understood that use of marijuana violated federal law, that he did not want to jeopardize his employment or eligibility for a clearance, and that he does not intend to use marijuana while holding a clearance. However, in his answer to the SOR, he admitted using marijuana through October 2023. During Applicant’s security interview in June 2023, he also told the investigator that most of the illegal substances he used made him feel energic and stimulated. However, the ketamine made him feel tired. He declared that he did not intend to use Adderall, ecstasy, cocaine, or ketamine in the future. (Item 5 at 6)

In the FORM, Department Counsel specifically pointed out Applicant’s continued use of marijuana. Applicant did not respond to the FORM or otherwise dispute Department Counsel’s argument about his continued use.

POLICIES

“[N]o one has a ‘right’ to a security clearance.” Department of the Navy v. Egan, 484 U.S. 518, 528 (1988). As Commander in Chief, the President has the authority to “control access to information bearing on national security and to determine whether an individual is sufficiently trustworthy to have access to such information.” Id. at 527. The President has authorized the Secretary of Defense or his designee to grant applicants eligibility for access to classified information “only upon a finding that it is clearly consistent with the national interest to do so.” Exec. Or. 10865 § 2. Eligibility for a security clearance is predicated upon the applicant meeting the criteria contained in the adjudicative guidelines. These guidelines are not inflexible rules of law. Instead, recognizing the complexities of human behavior, an administrative judge applies these guidelines in conjunction with an evaluation of the whole person. An administrative judge’s overarching adjudicative goal is a fair, impartial, and commonsense decision. An administrative judge must consider all available and reliable information about the person, past and present, favorable and unfavorable. The Government reposes a high degree of trust and confidence in persons with access to classified information. This relationship transcends normal duty hours and endures throughout off-duty hours. Decisions include, by necessity, consideration of the possible risk that the applicant may deliberately or inadvertently fail to safeguard classified information. Such decisions entail a certain degree of legally permissible extrapolation about potential, rather than actual, risk of compromise of classified information. Clearance decisions must be made “in terms of the national interest and shall in no sense be a determination as to the loyalty of the applicant concerned.” Exec. Or. 10865 § 7. Thus, a decision to deny a security clearance is merely an indication the applicant has not met the strict guidelines the President and the Secretary of Defense have established for issuing a clearance. Initially, the Government must establish, by substantial evidence, conditions in the personal or professional history of the applicant that may disqualify the applicant from being eligible for access to classified information. The Government has the burden of establishing controverted facts alleged in the SOR. See Egan at 531. Substantial evidence is “such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion in light of all the contrary evidence in the same record.” See ISCR Case No. 17-04166 at 3 (App. Bd. Mar. 21, 2019) It is “less than the weight of the evidence, and the possibility of drawing two inconsistent conclusions from the evidence does not prevent [a Judge’s] finding from being supported by substantial evidence.” Consolo v. Federal Maritime Comm’n, 383 U.S. 607, 620 (1966). “Substantial evidence”

Once the Government establishes a disqualifying condition by substantial evidence, the burden shifts to the applicant to rebut, explain, extenuate, or mitigate the facts. Directive ¶ E3.1.15. An applicant has the burden of proving a mitigating condition, and the burden of disproving it never shifts to the Government. See ISCR Case No. 02- 31154 at 5 (App. Bd. Sep. 22, 2005).

;

is “more than a scintilla but less than a preponderance.” See v. Washington Metro. Area Transit Auth., 36 F.3d 375, 380 (4th Cir. 1994). The guidelines presume a nexus or rational connection between proven conduct under any of the criteria listed therein and an applicant’s security suitability. ISCR Case No. 15-01253 at 3 (App. Bd. Apr. 20, 2016). An applicant “has the ultimate burden of demonstrating that it is clearly consistent with the national interest to grant or continue his security clearance.” ISCR Case No. 01- 20700 at 3 (App. Bd. Dec. 19, 2002). “[S]ecurity clearance determinations should err, if they must, on the side of denials.” Egan at 531.

ANALYSIS

Guideline H, Drug Involvement and Substance Misuse The concern under this guideline is set out in AG ¶ 24: The illegal use of controlled substances, to include the misuse of prescription and non-prescription drugs, and the use of other substances that cause physical or mental impairment or are used in a manner inconsistent with their intended purpose can raise questions about an individual's reliability and trustworthiness, both because such behavior may lead to physical or psychological impairment and because it raises questions about a person's ability or willingness to comply with laws, rules, and regulations. Controlled substance means any "controlled substance" as defined in 21 U.S.C. 802. Substance misuse is the generic term adopted in this guideline to describe any of the behaviors listed above. Applicant’s admissions and the evidence in the FORM establish the following disqualifying conditions under this guideline: AG ¶ 25(a): any substance misuse (see above definition) AG ¶ 25(c): illegal possession of a controlled substance, including cultivation, processing, manufacture, purchase, sale, or distribution; or possession of drug paraphernalia; and AG ¶ 25(g): expressed intent to continue drug involvement and substance misuse, or failure to clearly and convincingly commit to discontinue such misuse. The following mitigating conditions are potentially applicable:

AG ¶ 26(a): the behavior happened so long ago, was so infrequent, or happened under such circumstances that it is unlikely to recur or does not cast doubt on the individual's current reliability, trustworthiness, or good judgment; and AG ¶ 26(b): the individual acknowledges his or her drug involvement and substance misuse, provides evidence of actions taken to overcome this problem, and has established a pattern of abstinence, including, but not limited to: (1) disassociation from drug-using associates and contacts; (2) changing or avoiding the environment where drugs were used; and (3) providing a signed statement of intent to abstain from all drug involvement and substance misuse, acknowledging that any future involvement or misuse is grounds for revocation of national security eligibility. AG ¶ 26(a) is established for Applicant’s use of ketamine. He used it only once, and it made him feel tired rather than stimulated. This mitigating condition is not established for his uses of the other illegal substances alleged in the SOR, which were recent, frequent, and did not occur under circumstances making them unlikely to recur. Applicant’s continued use of marijuana after submitting an SCA and being questioned by a security investigator about his drug involvement raises questions about his judgment, reliability, trustworthiness, and willingness to comply with law, rules, and regulations, including the federal laws regarding marijuana. See Director of National Intelligence Memorandum ES 2014-00674, “Adherence to Federal Laws Prohibiting Marijuana Use.” (October 25, 2014). AG ¶ 26(b) is not established. Applicant used marijuana until at least October 2023, and he has been equivocal about discontinuing his use of it. He provided no evidence that he has disassociated from his drug-using associates and no evidence of changed environment. He has not provided the signed statement provided for in AG ¶ 26(b)(3).

WHOLE PERSON CONCEPT

Under AG ¶ 2(c), the ultimate determination of whether to grant eligibility for a security clearance must be an overall commonsense judgment based upon careful consideration of the guidelines and the whole-person concept. In applying the whole- person concept, an administrative judge must evaluate an applicant’s eligibility for a security clearance by considering the totality of the applicant’s conduct and all relevant circumstances. An administrative judge should consider the nine adjudicative process factors listed at AG ¶ 2(d):

(1) the nature, extent, and seriousness of the conduct; (2) the circumstances surrounding the conduct, to include knowledgeable participation; (3) the frequency and recency of the conduct; (4) the individual’s age and maturity at the time of the conduct; (5) the extent to which participation is voluntary; (6) the presence or absence of rehabilitation and other permanent behavioral changes; (7) the motivation for the conduct; (8) the potential for pressure, coercion, exploitation, or duress; and (9) the likelihood of continuation or recurrence. I have incorporated my comments under Guideline H in my whole-person analysis and applied the adjudicative factors in AG ¶ 2(d). Because Applicant requested a determination on the record without a hearing, I had no opportunity to evaluate his credibility and sincerity based on demeanor. See ISCR Case No. 01-12350 at 3-4 (App. Bd. Jul. 23, 2003). After weighing the disqualifying and mitigating conditions under Guideline H and evaluating all the evidence in the context of the whole person, I conclude Applicant has not mitigated the security concerns raised by his drug involvement and substance misuse.

FORMAL FINDINGS

I make the following formal findings on the allegations in the SOR: Paragraph 1, Guideline H: AGAINST APPLICANT Subparagraphs 1.a-1.d: Against Applicant Subparagraph 1.e: For Applicant

CONCLUSION

I conclude that it is not clearly consistent with the national security interests of the United States to grant Applicant eligibility for access to classified information. Clearance is denied. LeRoy F. Foreman Administrative Judge