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ISCR 24-00709: Guideline H security clearance hearing, denied (2024) · CASE

ISCR Case 24-00709denied

Case headnote

ISCR Case No. 24-00709

deniedOct 11, 2024· Hon. Edward W. Loughran· hearing

Summary

A 27-year-old defense contractor was denied a security clearance under Guideline H (Drug Involvement) due to an extensive history of illegal drug use. The Statement of Reasons detailed the applicant's use of multiple substances, including marijuana, LSD, cocaine, MDMA, hallucinogenic mushrooms, and prescription medications without a valid prescription. These allegations raised disqualifying conditions under Adjudicative Guidelines Paragraphs 25(a) and 25(c).

The applicant presented evidence of abstinence since May 2023 and signed a statement committing to avoid future drug involvement. These actions were considered as mitigating conditions under Adjudicative Guidelines Paragraphs 26(a) and 26(b).

However, the judge ultimately found that the applicant's efforts to mitigate concerns were insufficient to overcome the significant doubts regarding his reliability and trustworthiness stemming from his long history of illegal drug use. Consequently, the security clearance was denied.

Why the applicant was denied

The applicant has a long history of illegal drug use, including marijuana, LSD, cocaine, and other substances.
The applicant's attempts to mitigate concerns were deemed insufficient to overcome doubts about his reliability and trustworthiness.

Conditions referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 25(a)raisedSubstance Misuse
AG ¶ 25(c)raisedIllegal Possession of a Controlled Substance

Mitigating

AG ¶ 26(a)rejectedBehavior Unlikely to RecurThe judge found that the applicant's past drug use was extensive and recent enough to raise ongoing concerns.
AG ¶ 26(b)rejectedAcknowledgment and Evidence of Actions Taken to Overcome Drug InvolvementWhile the applicant signed a statement of intent to abstain, the judge did not find this sufficient to mitigate the concerns.

Key rule quoted

“[A]ny doubt concerning personnel being considered for national security eligibility will be resolved in favor of the national security.”
AG ¶ 2(b)

Procedural posture

SOR issuedMay 8, 2024
Answer filedMay 31, 2024Requested decision based on written record.
Hearing held—Decision made based on written record.
Decision dateOct 11, 2024

Cite for

Denial of Security Clearance Due to Extensive Drug Use Under Guideline H
Insufficient Mitigation of Drug Involvement Concerns
Application of the Whole-person Concept in Security Clearance Determinations

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: 27: “Applicant is a 27-year-old employee of a defense contractor.”
Held a clearance before: No: “He is applying for a security clearance for the first time.”

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 has a significant history of illegal drug use, including marijuana, LSD, cocaine, MDMA, and hallucinogenic mushrooms, as well as misuse of prescription medications. The applicant's drug use was deemed inconsistent with the national interest, leading to a denial of security clearance.

¶	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 In the matter of: ) ) ) ISCR Case No. 24-00709 ) Applicant for Security Clearance ) Appearances For Government: Jeff A. Nagel, Esq., Department Counsel For Applicant: Pro se 10/11/2024

STATEMENT OF CASE

LOUGHRAN, Edward W., Administrative Judge: Applicant did not mitigate the security concerns under Guideline H (drug involvement and substance misuse). Eligibility for access to classified information is denied. Statement of the Case On May 8, 2024, the Department of Defense (DoD) issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) to Applicant detailing security concerns under Guideline H. Applicant responded to the SOR on May 31, 2024, and requested a decision based on the written record in lieu of a hearing. The Government’s written case was submitted on June 29, 2024. A complete copy of the file of relevant material (FORM) was provided to Applicant, who was afforded an opportunity to file objections and submit material to refute, extenuate, or mitigate the security concerns. Applicant received the FORM on July 9, 2024. As of August 12, 2024, he had not responded. The case was assigned to me on September 20, 2024. The Government exhibits included in the FORM are admitted in evidence without objection.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Applicant is a 27-year-old employee of a defense contractor. He is applying for a security clearance for the first time. He earned a bachelor’s degree in 2019. The most recent information available indicated that he has never married, and he has no children. (Items 2, 3) Applicant has a history of illegal drug use, including marijuana, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), cocaine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy), hallucinogenic mushrooms, and the prescription medications Xanax, Percocet, Vyvanse, Adderall, and Lorazepam without a prescription. (Items 1-3) Applicant submitted a Questionnaire for National Security Positions (SF-86) in August 2023. He reported his illegal drug use, including using marijuana about 1,000 times between 2016 and May 2023; LSD 3 times between 2017 and 2019; cocaine about 25 times between 2018 and February 2023; ecstasy once in 2018; and hallucinogenic mushrooms about 35 times between 2019 and March 2023. He admitted using the prescriptions drugs identified above, but much less frequently. He disclosed that he purchased some of the drugs, and he cultivated hallucinogenic mushrooms on one occasion in 2021. He indicated that he did not intend to use any illegal drugs in the future. (Item 2) Applicant provided similar information during his background interview in November 2023 and in his May 2024 response to the SOR. He has not used any illegal drugs since May 2023, and he does not intend to use any in the future. He has attempted to avoid environments where drugs are being used. His friends know that he is drug-free and do not ask or pressure him to use drugs. He cares deeply for his job and supporting this country. He signed a 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. (Items 1, 3)

POLICIES

This case is adjudicated under Executive Order (EO) 10865, Safeguarding Classified Information within Industry (February 20, 1960), as amended; DoD Directive 5220.6, Defense Industrial Personnel Security Clearance Review Program (January 2, 1992), as amended (Directive); and the adjudicative guidelines (AG), which became effective on June 8, 2017. When evaluating an applicant’s suitability for a security clearance, the administrative judge must consider the adjudicative guidelines. In addition to brief introductory explanations for each guideline, the adjudicative guidelines list potentially disqualifying conditions and mitigating conditions, which are to be used in evaluating an applicant’s eligibility for access to classified information. These guidelines are not inflexible rules of law. Instead, recognizing the complexities of human behavior, administrative judges apply the guidelines in

conjunction with the factors listed in the adjudicative process. The administrative judge’s overarching adjudicative goal is a fair, impartial, and commonsense decision. According to AG ¶ 2(c), the entire process is a conscientious scrutiny of a number of variables known as the “whole-person concept.” The administrative judge must consider all available, reliable information about the person, past and present, favorable and unfavorable, in making a decision. The protection of the national security is the paramount consideration. AG ¶ 2(b) requires that “[a]ny doubt concerning personnel being considered for national security eligibility will be resolved in favor of the national security.” Under Directive ¶ E3.1.14, the Government must present evidence to establish controverted facts alleged in the SOR. Under Directive ¶ E3.1.15, the applicant is responsible for presenting “witnesses and other evidence to rebut, explain, extenuate, or mitigate facts admitted by the applicant or proven by Department Counsel.” The applicant has the ultimate burden of persuasion to obtain a favorable security decision. A person who seeks access to classified information enters into a fiduciary relationship with the Government predicated upon trust and confidence. This relationship transcends normal duty hours and endures throughout off-duty hours. The Government reposes a high degree of trust and confidence in individuals to whom it grants access to classified information. Decisions include, by necessity, consideration of the possible risk the applicant may deliberately or inadvertently fail to safeguard classified information. Such decisions entail a certain degree of legally permissible extrapolation of potential, rather than actual, risk of compromise of classified information. Section 7 of EO 10865 provides that adverse decisions shall be “in terms of the national interest and shall in no sense be a determination as to the loyalty of the applicant concerned.” See also EO 12968, Section 3.1(b) (listing multiple prerequisites for access to classified or sensitive information).

ANALYSIS

Guideline H, Drug Involvement and Substance Misuse The security concern for drug involvement and substance misuse 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. The guideline notes several conditions that could raise security concerns under AG ¶ 25. The following are potentially applicable in this case: (a) any substance misuse (see above definition); and (c) illegal possession of a controlled substance, including cultivation, processing, manufacture, purchase, sale, or distribution; or possession of drug paraphernalia. On October 25, 2014, the Director of National Intelligence (the Security Executive Agent (SecEA)) issued DNI Memorandum ES 2014-00674, “Adherence to Federal Laws Prohibiting Marijuana Use,” which states: [C]hanges to state laws and the laws of the District of Columbia pertaining to marijuana use do not alter the existing National Security Adjudicative Guidelines . . . . An individual’s disregard of federal law pertaining to the use, sale, or manufacture of marijuana remains adjudicatively relevant in national security determinations. As always, adjudicative authorities are expected to evaluate claimed or developed use of, or involvement with, marijuana using the current adjudicative criteria. The adjudicative authority must determine if the use of, or involvement with, marijuana raises questions about the individual’s judgment, reliability, trustworthiness, and willingness to comply with law, rules, and regulations, including federal laws, when making eligibility decisions of persons proposed for, or occupying, sensitive national security positions. On December 21, 2021, the SecEA promulgated clarifying guidance concerning marijuana-related issues in security clearance adjudications. It states in pertinent part: [Federal] agencies are instructed that prior recreational marijuana use by an individual may be relevant to adjudications but not determinative. The SecEA has provided direction in [the adjudicative guidelines] to agencies that requires them to use a “whole-person concept.” This requires adjudicators to carefully weigh a number of variables in an individual’s life to determine whether that individual’s behavior raises a security concern, if at all, and whether that concern has been mitigated such that the individual may now receive a favorable adjudicative determination. Relevant mitigations include, but are not limited to, frequency of use and whether the individual can demonstrate that future use is unlikely to recur, including by signing an attestation or other such appropriate mitigation. Additionally, in light of the long-standing federal law and policy prohibiting illegal drug use while occupying a sensitive position or holding a security clearance, agencies are encouraged to advise prospective national security workforce employees that they should refrain from any future marijuana use upon

initiation of the national security vetting process, which commences once the individual signs the certification contained in the Standard Form 86 (SF-86), Questionnaire for National Security Positions. Applicant possessed and used marijuana, LSD, cocaine, MDMA, hallucinogenic mushrooms, and the prescription medications Xanax, Percocet, Vyvanse, Adderall, and Lorazepam without a prescription. AG ¶¶ 25(a) and 25(c) are applicable. AG ¶ 26 provides conditions that could mitigate security concerns. The following are potentially applicable: (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 (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. There is no evidence of any illegal drug use after May 2023. Applicant has attempted to avoid environments where drugs are being used. His friends know that he is drug-free and do not ask or pressure him to use drugs. He cares deeply for his job and supporting this country. He signed a 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. Those are all positive steps. However, Applicant used multiple illegal drugs over a number of years. There is no bright-line rule for when conduct is recent. AG ¶ 2(b) requires that “[a]ny doubt concerning personnel being considered for national security eligibility will be resolved in favor of the national security.” With additional time without illegal drug use, Applicant may warrant a security clearance. I am not convinced that he is there yet. None of the mitigating conditions are sufficiently applicable to overcome concerns about Applicant’s drug use, reliability, trustworthiness, and judgment.

________________________

WHOLE PERSON CONCEPT

Under the whole-person concept, the 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. The 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. 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. I considered the potentially disqualifying and mitigating conditions in light of all the facts and circumstances surrounding this case. I have incorporated my comments under Guideline H in my whole-person analysis. Overall, the record evidence leaves me with questions and doubts about Applicant’s eligibility and suitability for a security clearance. I conclude Applicant did not mitigate the security concerns under Guideline H.

FORMAL FINDINGS

Formal findings for or against Applicant on the allegations set forth in the SOR, as required by section E3.1.25 of Enclosure 3 of the Directive, are: Paragraph 1, Guideline H: Against Applicant Subparagraphs 1.a-1.j: Against Applicant

CONCLUSION

It is not clearly consistent with the national interest to grant Applicant eligibility for a security clearance. Eligibility for access to classified information is denied. Edward W. Loughran Administrative Judge