CASE · Clearance Adjudication Search EngineCASE

Loading case…

ISCR Case 22-00323 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 22-00323

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

Case Profile
Decision Date9/13/2023
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Caroline E. Heintzelman
Government Counsel: Rhett E. Petcher
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 42-year-old individual employed by a Department of Defense (DOD) contractor since March 2020, seeking a security clearance. The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing concerns under Guideline G (Alcohol Consumption), specifically alleging habitual alcohol consumption that impaired judgment and a diagnosis of Alcohol Use Disorder.
During the proceedings, the applicant admitted to the allegations in the SOR, acknowledging a history of heavy drinking and blackouts, particularly between 1999 and 2013. He reported a reduction in alcohol consumption since 2021, motivated by concerns for his family and job security. However, he had not participated in any formal treatment programs and did not provide updated evaluations to support his claims of improved behavior. The administrative judge noted that while the applicant had made some efforts to reduce his drinking, the lack of formal treatment and ongoing issues with alcohol consumption raised significant concerns regarding his reliability and trustworthiness.
Ultimately, the administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that he failed to sufficiently mitigate the security concerns related to his alcohol consumption. The judge emphasized that the applicant's admissions and the evidence presented established disqualifying conditions under the guidelines, and the applicant did not demonstrate adequate steps to address the underlying issues associated with his alcohol use. As a result, eligibility for access to classified information was denied.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline GAlcohol Consumption · Against Applicant
Similar decisions
Other decisions whose allegations read most like this one. Descriptive similarity of the allegations only — not a prediction.
Finding similar decisions…

Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 22-00323

deniedSep 13, 2023· Hon. Caroline E. Heintzelman· hearing

Summary

A 42-year-old male employed by a Department of Defense contractor was denied a security clearance under Guideline G (Alcohol Consumption). The applicant admitted to a history of excessive alcohol consumption and received a diagnosis of Alcohol Use Disorder, Severe. This raised disqualifying conditions under AG ¶ 22(c) and AG ¶ 22(d).

While the applicant acknowledged his issues and stated he had reduced his alcohol intake, he failed to provide sufficient evidence of rehabilitation or a consistent pattern of responsible alcohol use. His testimony regarding his consumption was inconsistent and lacked corroborating evidence.

Despite the application of mitigating conditions AG ¶ 23(a) and AG ¶ 23(b), the judge concluded that granting a security clearance would not align with national security interests. The denial was based on the applicant's failure to mitigate the security concerns raised under Guideline G.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant admitted to a history of excessive alcohol consumption and was diagnosed with Alcohol Use Disorder, Severe.
He did not provide evidence of rehabilitation or a consistent pattern of responsible alcohol use.
The applicant's testimony regarding his alcohol consumption was inconsistent and lacked corroborating evidence.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 22(c)raisedHabitual or Binge Consumption of Alcohol
AG ¶ 22(d)raisedDiagnosis of Alcohol Use Disorder

Mitigating

AG ¶ 23(a)rejectedTime Passed or Infrequent Behavior Unlikely to RecurThe applicant's history of alcohol abuse and recent behavior did not demonstrate a likelihood of recurrence.
AG ¶ 23(b)rejectedAcknowledgment of Alcoholism and Evidence of Actions TakenThe applicant did not provide sufficient evidence of actions taken to overcome his alcohol issues.

Key Rule Quoted

“The protection of the national security is the paramount consideration.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedJun 13, 2022
Answer filedAug 4, 2022Requested a hearing.
Hearing heldDec 5, 2022Via video teleconference.
Decision dateSep 13, 2023

Cite For

Denial of Security Clearance Due to Alcohol Consumption Under Guideline G
Failure to Demonstrate Rehabilitation From Alcohol Use Disorder
Inconsistencies in Applicant's Testimony Regarding Alcohol Use

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 G (Alcohol Consumption) · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: HearingDecided: deniedAUD DIAGNOSED

The judge found that the applicant failed to mitigate security concerns related to alcohol consumption, leading to a denial of the security clearance. The applicant's history of alcohol abuse, inconsistent testimony, and lack of formal treatment contributed to the decision.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Incident	Response	Disqualifying (¶22)	Mitigating applied (¶23)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant failed to mitigate security concerns raised under Guideline G (Alcohol Consumption).	Against Applicant	Unspecified Alcohol Incident	Unknown	—	—	—

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

Full decision

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