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ISCR Case 24-01975 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 24-01975

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

Case Profile
Decision Date1/30/2026
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Charles C. Hale
Government Counsel: Daniel P. O'Reilley
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 36-year-old draftsman who applied for a security clearance on March 12, 2024. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) on March 25, 2025, citing concerns under Guidelines H (Drug Involvement and Substance Misuse) and E (Personal Conduct). The core allegations included the applicant's admitted use and purchase of marijuana from 2019 to May 2024, as well as falsifying information on her security clearance application regarding her drug use.
The applicant admitted to using and purchasing marijuana during the specified period and acknowledged that she had falsified her answers on the security clearance application. She explained that she believed her marijuana use would not be an issue since it was legal in her state and that she ceased use upon realizing the seriousness of the situation. However, the administrative judge found that the applicant's drug use was recent and frequent, which raised concerns about her reliability and trustworthiness. The judge noted that while the applicant had stopped using marijuana since May 2024, insufficient time had passed to mitigate her lengthy history of substance misuse.
Ultimately, the administrative judge ruled to deny the applicant's eligibility for a security clearance, stating that the applicant's recent and sustained drug misuse, along with her failure to fully disclose this history, did not meet the necessary criteria for trustworthiness and reliability required for access to classified information.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline EPersonal Conduct · For Applicant
- Guideline HDrug Involvement & Substance Misuse · 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. 24-01975

deniedJan 30, 2026· Hon. Charles C. Hale· hearing

Summary

A 36-year-old draftsman was denied a security clearance due to concerns under Guideline E (Personal Conduct) and Guideline H (Drug Involvement). The applicant admitted to using and purchasing marijuana with varying frequency from 2019 to May 2024, and failed a pre-employment drug test in December 2023. Notably, she continued to use and purchase marijuana from approximately March 2024 to May 2024, after completing her Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (eQIP).

The applicant also falsified material facts on her eQIP, specifically by answering "No" to a question about illegal drug activity, thereby failing to disclose past marijuana purchases. These actions raised disqualifying conditions under both guidelines.

While the judge found mitigating factors for personal conduct, the ongoing drug involvement was a significant concern regarding her reliability and trustworthiness. Ultimately, the security clearance was DENIED.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant admitted to using and purchasing marijuana from 2019 to May 2024, which raised concerns under Guideline H.
The applicant falsified information on her security clearance application regarding her drug use, which raised concerns under Guideline E.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 25(a)appliedSubstance Misuse
AG ¶ 25(c)appliedIllegal Possession of a Controlled Substance

Mitigating

AG ¶ 26(a)rejectedBehavior Unlikely to RecurThe applicant's drug misuse was frequent, longstanding, and recent.
AG ¶ 26(b)rejectedAcknowledgment and Actions Taken to Overcome Drug InvolvementInsufficient time has passed to mitigate her lengthy history of marijuana use.
AG ¶ 17(a)appliedPrompt Efforts to Correct Omissions
AG ¶ 17(c)rejectedMinor Offense or Unlikely to RecurThe applicant's behavior was not minor and occurred recently.

Key Rule Quoted

“Eligibility for a security clearance is predicated upon the applicant meeting the criteria contained in the adjudicative guidelines.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedMar 25, 2025
Answer filedApr 16, 2025
Hearing held—Applicant requested a decision on the written record without a hearing.
Decision dateJan 30, 2026

Cite For

Denial of Clearance Due to Ongoing Drug Involvement Under Guideline H
Falsification of Information on Security Clearance Application Under Guideline E
Mitigating Conditions for Personal Conduct May Not Apply If Drug Involvement Is Recent and Significant.

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 that the applicant falsified material facts on her eQIP and failed to disclose her past marijuana purchases. However, the judge ruled in favor of the applicant on both allegations, indicating that the concerns regarding her personal conduct were mitigated. Ultimately, the application for clearance was denied based on other guidelines.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Conduct	Concealed Issue	Response	Disqualifying (¶16)	Mitigating applied (¶17)	Mitigation
2.a	You falsified material facts on an Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (eQIP).	For Applicant	Falsification Security FormFOUND DELIBERATE	Other	Admitted	—	—	—
2.b	You answered 'No' to the question regarding illegal drug activity, thereby failing to disclose that you had purchased marijuana in the past.	For Applicant	Omission or Failure to DiscloseFOUND DELIBERATE	Other	Admitted	—	—	—

Descriptive standardized rendering of a decided public case (Guideline E). 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: Decision on RecordDecided: denied

The judge found that the applicant used and purchased marijuana from 2019 to May 2024, including after completing a security clearance questionnaire. Additionally, the applicant failed a pre-employment drug test in December 2023. The judge ruled against the applicant on all allegations under Guideline H, concluding that the applicant's drug involvement raised significant security concerns.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
1.a	You used and purchased marijuana with varying frequency from 2019 to May 2024.	Against Applicant	Marijuana	Regular	Admitted	—	—	—
1.b	You failed a pre-employment drug test in December 2023.	Against Applicant	Drug Test Failure	Not Applicable	Admitted	—	—	—
1.c	You used and purchased marijuana from about March 2024 to about May 2024, after completing an Electronic Questionnaire for Investigations Processing (e-QIP).	Against Applicant	Marijuana	Frequent	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.