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ISCR Case 22-02267 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 22-02267

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

Case Profile
Decision Date11/9/2023
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Edward W. Loughran
Government Counsel: Andrew H. Henderson
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 50-year-old employee of a defense contractor who had held a security clearance since approximately 2015. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Guideline B (foreign influence) and Guideline E (personal conduct). The core allegations included the applicant's financial support of foreign nationals and failure to disclose foreign contacts and travel on his security clearance applications.
During the proceedings, the applicant admitted to having sent money to a woman in Ethiopia, referred to as Ms. A, totaling approximately $12,000, and acknowledged visiting her multiple times. He also had a subsequent friendship with another Ethiopian citizen, Ms. B, but claimed they were not romantically involved. The applicant denied intentionally providing false information on his security clearance applications, attributing inaccuracies to poor memory and misunderstanding the definitions of foreign nationals. However, the administrative judge found that the applicant's explanations were not credible and that he had failed to mitigate the concerns under Guideline E.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that while he mitigated some concerns related to foreign influence, he did not adequately address the personal conduct issues. The judge emphasized the applicant's inconsistent statements and failure to disclose significant foreign contacts and financial support, ultimately denying his eligibility for access to classified information.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline BForeign Influence · For Applicant
- Guideline EPersonal Conduct · 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. 22-02267

deniedNov 9, 2023· Hon. Edward W. Loughran· hearing

Summary

A 50-year-old defense contractor employee was denied a security clearance due to concerns under Guideline B (Foreign Influence) and Guideline E (Personal Conduct). While the applicant successfully mitigated foreign influence concerns stemming from a past relationship with a foreign national, significant issues related to personal conduct remained unmitigated.

The Statement of Reasons detailed several intentional omissions on the applicant's 2021 SF-86. These included failing to report close and/or continuing contact with two foreign nationals, Ms. A and Ms. B, and intentionally omitting that he provided financial support to Ms. A. Additionally, the applicant failed to report foreign travel, specifically at least three trips to Ethiopia and one trip to India.

The judge found the applicant's explanations for these omissions unconvincing, concluding that he demonstrated a lack of candor. Consequently, the applicant was denied security clearance eligibility.

Why the Applicant Prevailed

The applicant mitigated foreign influence concerns related to past relationships with foreign nationals.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 16(a)appliedDeliberate Omission, Concealment, or Falsification of Relevant Facts

Mitigating

AG ¶ 8(a)appliedNature of Relationships with Foreign Persons Unlikely to Create a Conflict of Interest
AG ¶ 8(b)appliedNo Conflict of Interest Due to Deep and Longstanding Relationships in the U.S.

Key Rule Quoted

“Any doubt concerning personnel being considered for national security eligibility will be resolved in favor of the national security.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedFeb 9, 2023
Answer filedFeb 24, 2023Requested decision based on written record.
Hearing heldMay 25, 2023Hearing reconvened on July 6, 2023.
Decision dateNov 9, 2023

Cite For

Mitigation of Foreign Influence Concerns Under Guideline B
Issues of Personal Conduct Related to Omissions on Security Clearance Applications
Credibility Assessments in Security Clearance Cases

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 E (Personal Conduct) · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: Decision on RecordDecided: denied

The judge found against the applicant on allegations of intentional failure to report foreign contacts and financial support on his SF 86. The applicant's conduct raised personal conduct security concerns, leading to a denial of eligibility for access to classified information.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Conduct	Concealed Issue	Response	Disqualifying (¶16)	Mitigating applied (¶17)	Mitigation
2.a	Applicant intentionally failed to report that he had 'close and/or continuing' contact with foreign nationals Ms. A and Ms. B on his 2021 SF 86.	Against Applicant	Omission or Failure to DiscloseFOUND DELIBERATE	Foreign Contacts or Interests	Denied	(a) deliberate omission, concealment, or falsification on a security form	—	Claimed Other
2.b	Applicant intentionally failed to report on his 2021 SF 86 that he provided financial support to Ms. A, a foreign national.	Against Applicant	Omission or Failure to DiscloseFOUND DELIBERATE	Other	Denied	(a) deliberate omission, concealment, or falsification on a security form	—	Claimed Other
2.c	Applicant intentionally failed to report on his 2021 SF 86 his foreign travel, including at least three trips to Ethiopia and a trip to India.	For Applicant	Omission or Failure to Disclose	Foreign Contacts or Interests	Denied	—	—	Claimed Other

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

Full decision

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