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ISCR Case 15-03403.h1 — CASE

ISCR Case 15-03403.h1denied

Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 15-03403.h1

deniedAug 25, 2016· Hon. Richard A. Cefola· hearing

Summary

A 32-year-old Ph.D., who had held a security clearance since 2004, was denied continued clearance under Guideline H (Drug Involvement). The denial stemmed from the applicant's admitted illegal drug use, specifically marijuana, which occurred approximately 10 to 15 times between 2007 and 2013. All instances of use took place while the applicant possessed an active security clearance.

Despite the applicant providing negative drug tests and signing a statement of intent to abstain from future drug use, the judge determined that these actions did not sufficiently mitigate the security concerns. A key factor in the denial was that the applicant's last reported marijuana use occurred less than three years before the security clearance hearing.

The Statement of Reasons specifically alleged that the applicant used marijuana 10-15 times while holding a security clearance, triggering disqualifying conditions under Adjudicative Guidelines Paragraphs 25(a) and 25(g). Ultimately, no mitigating conditions were found applicable to outweigh the disqualifying conduct, leading to the denial of the security clearance.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant admitted to using marijuana 10-15 times after being granted a security clearance.
The last use of marijuana occurred less than three years prior to the hearing.
No mitigating conditions were found applicable to counter the disqualifying conduct.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 25(a)raisedAny Drug Abuse
AG ¶ 25(g)raisedIllegal Drug Use After Being Granted a Security Clearance

Key Rule Quoted

“Use of an illegal drug or misuse of a prescription drug can raise questions about an individual’s reliability and trustworthiness, both because it may impair judgment and because it raises questions about a person’s ability or willingness to comply with laws, rules, and regulations.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedNov 7, 2015
Answer filedDec 17, 2015
Hearing heldApr 6, 2016
Decision dateAug 25, 2016

Cite For

Disqualifying Conditions Related to Drug Involvement Under Guideline H
The Impact of Illegal Drug Use on Security Clearance Eligibility
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.

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 marijuana 10 to 15 times while holding a security clearance, which raised significant security concerns. Despite the applicant's claims of mitigating factors, the judge concluded that the applicant did not sufficiently mitigate the concerns related to drug involvement, resulting in a denial of eligibility for a security clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant used marijuana about 10~15 times while holding a security clearance.	Against Applicant	MarijuanaWHILE CLEARED	Occasional	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (g) expressed intent to continue, or failure to commit to discontinue	—	—

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.

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. 15-03403 ) ) Applicant for Security Clearance )

For Government: Jeff Nagel, Esquire, Department Counsel For Applicant: Pro se

August 25, 2016

______________

STATEMENT OF CASE

______________

CEFOLA, Richard A., Administrative Judge:

Applicant submitted his Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) on September 30, 2014. On November 7, 2015, the Department of Defense (DOD) issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) detailing the security concerns under Guideline H for Applicant. The action was taken under Executive Order 10865, Safeguarding Classified Information Within Industry (February 20, 1960), as amended; Department of Defense Directive 5220.6, Defense Industrial Personnel Security Clearance Review Program (January 2, 1992), as amended (Directive); and the adjudicative guidelines (AG), effective within the Department of Defense after September 1, 2006.

Applicant acknowledged receipt of the SOR on December 14, 2015. He answered the SOR in writing on December 17, 2015, and requested a hearing before an Administrative Judge. The Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOHA) received the request soon thereafter, and I received the case assignment on March 15, 2016. DOHA issued a notice of hearing on March 16, 2016, and I convened the hearing as scheduled on April 6, 2016. The Government offered Exhibits (GXs) 1 through 3, which were received without objection. Applicant testified on his own behalf and submitted Exhibits (AppXs) A through F, which were received without objection. DOHA received the transcript of the hearing (TR) on April 12, 2016. I granted Applicant’s request to keep the record open until May 6, 2016, to submit additional matters. On May 5, 2016, he submitted Exhibit G, which was received without objection. The record closed on May 6, 2016. Based upon a review of the pleadings, exhibits, and testimony, eligibility for access to classified information is denied.

FINDINGS OF FACT

In his Answer to the SOR, Applicant admitted the factual allegations in Subparagraph 1.a. of the SOR, with explanation. He also provided additional information to support his request for eligibility for a security clearance.

Guideline H - Drug Involvement

1.a. Applicant is a 32 year old Ph.D. (TR at page 5 lines 13–25, see also AppXs D and E.) He has held a security clearance since about September of 2004. (GX 1 at page 48, GX 2 and AppX F.) While he held a security clearance, he used marijuana about “10–15 times.” (TR at page 30 line 14 to page 32 line 12, and GX 1 at page 46.) His usage was about 1–3 times a year from about October of 2007~June of 2013. (Id.) Applicant knew that his use of marijuana was illegal. (TR at page 43 line 17 to page 44 line 23.) He has submitted a signed statement of intent with automatic revocation of his clearance should he “smoke marijuana” in the future. (AppX A.) He has also submitted three drug tests from January 2014, August 2014, and April 2016. (AppX G at pages 15–20.) All are negative as to the use of any illegal substance. (Id.)

POLICIES

When evaluating an applicant’s suitability for a security clearance, the administrative judge must consider the adjudicative guidelines (AG). In addition to brief introductory explanations for each guideline, the adjudicative guidelines list potentially disqualifying conditions and mitigating conditions, which are useful 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, these guidelines are applied in conjunction with the factors listed in the adjudicative process. The administrative judge’s over-arching adjudicative goal is a fair, impartial and commonsense decision. According to AG Paragraph 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. Paragraph 2(b) requires that “[a]ny doubt concerning personnel being considered for access to classified information will be resolved in favor of national security.” In reaching this decision, I have drawn only those conclusions that are reasonable, logical and based on the evidence contained in the record. Likewise, I have avoided drawing inferences grounded on mere speculation or conjecture.

Under Directive Paragraph E3.1.14, the Government must present evidence to establish controverted facts alleged in the SOR. Under Directive Paragraph E3.1.15, the applicant is responsible for presenting “witnesses and other evidence to rebut, explain, extenuate, or mitigate facts admitted by applicant or proven by Department Counsel. . . .” The applicant has the ultimate burden of persuasion as to obtaining 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 protect or safeguard classified information. Such decisions entail a certain degree of legally permissible extrapolation as to potential, rather than actual, risk of compromise of classified information.

Section 7 of Executive Order 10865 provides that 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

The security concern relating to the guideline for Drug Involvement is set out in AG Paragraph 24:

Use of an illegal drug or misuse of a prescription drug can raise questions about an individual’s reliability and trustworthiness, both because it may impair judgment and because it raises questions about a person’s ability or willingness to comply with laws, rules, and regulations.

The guideline also notes several conditions that could raise security concerns. Under Subparagraph 25(a), “any drug abuse” may be disqualifying. Applicant used marijuana 1–3 times a year from about October of 2007 to June of 2013, a period of nearly six years. In addition, “any illegal drug use after being granted a security clearance” under Subparagraph 25(g) may be disqualifying. His usage was all after having been granted a security clearance in 2004. I find no countervailing mitigating condition that is applicable here. Applicant used an illegal substance on 10–15 occasions after having been granted a security clearance, the last time in June of 2013, less than three years prior to his hearing.

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 the circumstances. Under AG Subparagraph 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.

The Administrative Judge should also consider the nine adjudicative process factors listed at AG Subparagraph 2(a):

(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.

I considered all of the evidence, including the potentially disqualifying and mitigating conditions surrounding this case. Applicant has the unqualified support of those who know him in the workplace. (AppXs B, and G at pages 10–12.) However, the record evidence leaves me with questions and doubts as to Applicant’s eligibility and suitability for a security clearance. For this reason, I conclude Applicant has not mitigated the security concerns arising from his Drug Involvement.

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

Subparagraph 1.a.: Against Applicant

CONCLUSION

In light of all of the circumstances presented by the record in this case, 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.

Richard A. Cefola Administrative Judge