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ISCR Case 21-00289 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 21-00289

A decided public DOHA case, shown for research — not advice or a prediction.

Case Profile
Decision Date5/26/2022
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Michael H. Leonard
Government Counsel: Eric C. Price
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 55-year-old dual citizen of the United States and Israel, seeking a security clearance for her position as a proposal manager in the defense industry. The Department of Defense raised concerns under Guideline B for foreign influence and Guideline C for foreign preference, primarily due to her extensive ties to Israel, including family connections, financial interests, and her military service in the Israeli Defense Forces.
The applicant admitted to most of the allegations in the Statement of Reasons, clarifying that she had worked as a software developer for an Israeli company rather than as a product manager as stated. She provided a memorandum explaining her situation but did not submit supporting documentation. The applicant highlighted her commitment to her U.S. citizenship and her efforts to ensure her children obtained U.S. citizenship. However, the administrative judge found that the applicant did not present sufficient evidence to mitigate the security concerns related to her foreign ties.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that her connections to Israel posed a potential risk of divided allegiance and could lead to foreign influence or coercion. The judge emphasized that the applicant's extensive family ties and financial interests in Israel, along with her dual citizenship, created circumstances that were inconsistent with U.S. national security interests.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline BForeign Influence · Against Applicant
- Guideline CForeign Preference · Against Applicant
Similar decisions
Other decisions whose allegations read most like this one. Descriptive similarity of the allegations only — not a prediction.
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 21-00289

deniedMay 26, 2022· Hon. Michael H. Leonard· hearing

Summary

A 55-year-old dual citizen of the United States and Israel was denied a security clearance due to concerns under Guideline B (Foreign Influence) and Guideline C (Foreign Preference). The denial stemmed from her extensive ties to Israel, which the judge determined created a potential conflict of interest with U.S. national security.

Specific concerns included the applicant's substantial business, financial, and property interests in Israel, as well as her family ties and frequent travel to the country. Her military service in the Israeli Defense Forces was identified as a disqualifying factor under Guideline C. While the applicant acquired Israeli citizenship as a minor and her employment history in Israel and voting in a foreign election did not raise concerns, these factors were insufficient to mitigate the broader issues.

The judge concluded that the applicant did not provide adequate evidence to resolve the concerns regarding her divided allegiance and significant financial interests in Israel. Consequently, the security clearance was DENIED.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant's dual citizenship and significant ties to Israel raised concerns about divided allegiance.
The applicant's military service in the Israeli Defense Forces was a disqualifying factor under Guideline C.
The applicant's financial interests in Israel were substantial and not trivial, contributing to the denial.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 7(a)raisedContact with Foreign Family Members
AG ¶ 7(b)raisedConnections to a Foreign Government
AG ¶ 7(f)raisedSubstantial Financial Interests in a Foreign Country
AG ¶ 10(d)raisedParticipation in Foreign Military Service

Mitigating

AG ¶ 8(a)rejectedNature of Relationships with Foreign PersonsThe applicant's ties to Israel were deemed significant enough to create a potential conflict of interest.
AG ¶ 8(b)rejectedNo Conflict of InterestThe applicant's connections to Israel were not minimal and could lead to divided loyalty.
AG ¶ 8(f)rejectedRoutine Nature of Foreign InterestsThe applicant's financial interests in Israel were substantial and concerning.

Key Rule Quoted

“It is well-established law that no one has a right to a security clearance.”
— Department of the Navy v. Egan, 484 U.S. 518, 528 (1988)

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedNov 12, 2021
Answer filedNov 30, 2021
Hearing held—Applicant requested a decision based on the written record.
Decision dateMay 26, 2022

Cite For

Foreign Influence Concerns Under Guideline B
Foreign Preference Issues Under Guideline C
Impact of Dual Citizenship on Security Clearance Eligibility

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

Standardized Decision Profile

SEAD-4 Guideline B (Foreign Influence) · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: Decision on RecordDecided: denied

The judge found that the applicant's ties and connections to Israel, including family ties, substantial financial interests, and frequent travel, raised significant security concerns. As a result, the application for access to classified information was denied under Guideline B for foreign influence.

Country conditions:the decision took administrative notice of official facts about the foreign country (the Government’s country submission).

U.S. ties the decision noted: U.S. Home or Property · U.S. Financial Assets Predominant

¶	Allegation	Finding	Relationship	Country	Response	Disqualifying (¶7)	Mitigating applied (¶8)	Mitigation
2.a	Applicant's ties and connections to Israel create a potential conflict of interest.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Foreign Relationship Other	Israel HEIGHTENED RISK	Admitted	(b) connections creating a potential conflict of interest (f) substantial foreign business, financial, or property interests	—	—
2.b	Substantial business, financial, or property interests in Israel raise security concerns.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Foreign Relationship Financial or Property Interest	Israel HEIGHTENED RISK	Admitted	(b) connections creating a potential conflict of interest (f) substantial foreign business, financial, or property interests	—	—
2.c	Family ties to Israel raise concerns about divided allegiance.	Against Applicant	Extended Family in Foreign Country Immediate Family	Israel HEIGHTENED RISK	Admitted	(a) contact with a foreign family member/associate/friend creating a heightened risk of exploitation (b) connections creating a potential conflict of interest	—	—
2.d	Frequent travel to Israel raises security concerns.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Foreign Relationship Other	Israel HEIGHTENED RISK	Admitted	(b) connections creating a potential conflict of interest	—	—
2.e–2.i	5 sub-charges — specific text not stated in this decision (4 against, 1 for the applicant).	Mixed	Unspecified Foreign Relationship Other	—		—	—	—

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

Standardized Decision Profile

SEAD-4 Guideline C (Foreign Preference) · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: Decision on RecordDecided: denied

The applicant acquired Israeli citizenship as a minor and served in the Israeli Defense Forces, which raised concerns under Guideline C for foreign preference. The judge found that while some allegations were in favor of the applicant, the overall concerns regarding her foreign ties and military service outweighed the mitigating factors, leading to a denial of her eligibility for access to classified information.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶10)	Mitigating applied (¶11)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant acquired Israeli citizenship as a minor child under the control of her parents.	For Applicant	Foreign Citizenship Acquisition or Application	Admitted	—	—	—
1.b	Applicant's military service in the IDF raises a concern under AG 10(d)(1).	Against Applicant	Foreign Military or Government Service	Admitted	(b) failure to report, or fully disclose when required, possession of a passport or identity card issued by any country other than the U.S.	—	—
1.c	Applicant's employment history in Israel does not raise a concern.	For Applicant	Unspecified Foreign Preference	Denied	—	—	—
1.d	Voting in a foreign election does not raise a concern.	For Applicant	Foreign Voting	Admitted	—	—	—

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

Full decision

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