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ISCR Case 24-01005 — CASE

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ISCR Case 24-01005

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

Case Profile
Decision Date2/18/2025
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Related decisionSee the appeal decision (Case 24-01005) →
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Roger C. Wesley
Government Counsel: Aubrey M. DeAngelis
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 30-year-old civilian employee of a defense contractor seeking a security clearance. The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing concerns under the financial considerations and drug involvement guidelines. Specifically, the applicant was alleged to have accumulated five delinquent debts exceeding $42,000 and to have used marijuana from August 2020 to September 2021, during which time she was employed at a marijuana dispensary.
During the proceedings, the applicant admitted to most of the financial allegations but disputed the total amount of one debt. She attributed her financial difficulties to periods of unemployment and personal challenges, including a difficult pregnancy. Regarding drug involvement, she acknowledged her past marijuana use and employment at the dispensary but claimed to have ceased using marijuana since January 2023 and was enrolled in a drug testing program. However, she did not provide a written commitment to abstain from drug use in the future.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that while she had mitigated the financial concerns, she had not sufficiently addressed the drug involvement issues. The judge noted the applicant's history of drug use, her association with individuals who use marijuana, and the lack of evidence demonstrating a commitment to abstain from drug use moving forward. Consequently, the applicant's eligibility for access to classified information was denied.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · For Applicant
- Guideline HDrug Involvement & Substance Misuse · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 24-01005

deniedFeb 18, 2025· Hon. Roger C. Wesley· hearing

Summary

A 30-year-old defense contractor employee was denied a security clearance due to concerns under Guideline F (Financial Considerations) and Guideline H (Drug Involvement). The Statement of Reasons alleged she had accumulated five delinquent debts totaling over $42,000, which remained outstanding. Additionally, it was alleged she used marijuana from August 2020 to September 2021 while employed at a marijuana dispensary, where she sold marijuana and received it as compensation.

The applicant admitted to the over $42,000 in delinquent debts and her past marijuana use, stating she ceased use in January 2023. While the judge found that mitigating conditions applied to the financial concerns, effectively resolving them, the concerns related to drug involvement remained unresolved.

Specifically, the applicant's history of drug involvement and her continued association with marijuana users were cited as the basis for the unresolved security concerns. Consequently, the security clearance was denied.

Why the Applicant Prevailed

The applicant mitigated financial concerns by demonstrating efforts to address her debts through bankruptcy.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

DC ¶ 19(a)appliedInability to Satisfy Debts
DC ¶ 25(a)appliedAny Substance Misuse
DC ¶ 25(c)appliedIllegal Possession of a Controlled Substance

Mitigating

MC ¶ 20(b)appliedConditions Beyond Control
MC ¶ 20(c)appliedReceiving Financial Counseling
MC ¶ 20(d)appliedGood-faith Effort to Repay Debts
MC ¶ 26(a)rejectedBehavior Unlikely to Recur
MC ¶ 26(b)rejectedAcknowledgment of Drug Involvement

Key Rule Quoted

“Eligibility for access to classified information may only be granted upon a finding that it is clearly consistent with the national interest to do so.”
— Exec. Or. 10865

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedJul 30, 2024
Answer filedSep 6, 2024
Hearing heldJan 21, 2025as scheduled
Decision dateFeb 18, 2025

Cite For

Mitigation of Financial Issues Under Guideline F
Unresolved Drug Involvement Concerns Under Guideline H
Impact of Personal Circumstances on Financial Stability

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 F · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: HearingDecided: denied

The judge found that the applicant had accumulated five delinquent debts exceeding $42,000, which were not resolved and remained outstanding. Despite the applicant's claims of financial hardship and ongoing bankruptcy proceedings, the judge ruled against the applicant on the financial considerations, citing multiple debt delinquencies as a significant concern.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant allegedly accumulated five delinquent debts exceeding $42,000. Allegedly, these debts have not been resolved and remain outstanding. $42,000	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	(b) unwillingness to satisfy debts regardless of ability (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	Claimed Other

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

Standardized Decision Profile

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

Posture: HearingDecided: denied

The judge found against the applicant on allegations of drug involvement, specifically regarding her use of marijuana and employment at a marijuana dispensary. The applicant admitted to using marijuana from August 2020 to September 2021 and selling marijuana as part of her job, which contributed to the negative ruling under Guideline H.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
2.a	Applicant allegedly used marijuana from August 2020 to September 2021 and was employed at a marijuana dispensary during that time.	Against Applicant	Marijuana	Regular	Admitted	—	—	Claimed Abstinence Period Documented
2.b	Applicant was employed at a marijuana dispensary where she sold marijuana and received allotments of marijuana as part of her compensation.	Against Applicant	Drug Distribution or Dealing	Not Applicable	Admitted	—	—	—

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

Full decision

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