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Summary

A 47-year-old male applicant, born in Greece, was denied a security clearance under Guideline B (Foreign Influence) due to unmitigated security concerns. The applicant's parents are Russian citizens and residents, with whom he maintains monthly telephonic contact. His father retired from a significant city governmental position, and his mother, a well-known public figure, was employed by the Russian and/or USSR Government until approximately ten years ago. Both parents have visited the applicant in the U.S. multiple times, staying at his residence, and do not plan to immigrate.

Further concerns arose from the applicant's past. He held part ownership in a Russian apartment, valued at $8,000-$9,000, which likely became Russian government property in 2007 after he accepted U.S. political asylum. The applicant was also a member of the USSR Communist Party from June to August 1989, terminating his membership before requesting asylum. He became a U.S. citizen in 1996.

The applicant's professional history included extensive contact with Russian government officials between 1996 and 2003, related to his employment with U.S. corporations. This involved over 20 trips to Russia between 1998 and 2002, and living in Russia for a U.S. corporation from 2002 to 2003. The denial was based on his immediate family's Russian citizenship and government ties, and his extensive travel and employment in Russia, which collectively raised concerns about potential foreign influence and vulnerability to coercion.

Why the applicant was denied

• The applicant has immediate family members who are citizens of Russia, creating a potential for foreign influence.
• The applicant's parents were previously employed by the Russian government, which raises security concerns under Guideline B.
• The applicant's extensive travel and employment in Russia make him vulnerable to coercion or pressure from foreign entities.

Conditions referenced

Key rule quoted

“The mere possession of close family ties with a person in a foreign country is not, as a matter of law, disqualifying under Guideline B.”

Procedural posture

• SOR issuedAug 23, 2006
• Answer filedSep 21, 2006
• Hearing held—Decided on the written record.
• Decision dateMar 13, 2008

Cite for

• Security Concerns Related to Foreign Influence Due to Family Ties Under Guideline B
• The Impact of Foreign Government Employment of Immediate Family Members on Security Clearance Decisions
• The Applicant's Burden to Mitigate Foreign Influence Concerns When Ties to Foreign Nationals Exist