The Defense Office of Hearing and Appeals published summaries of 950 appeals cases for security clearance denials or revocations. As usual, financial issues outnumbered all other issues combined and resulted in most of the denials. The number of cases involving use of illegal drugs has steadily climbed over the past two years, most likely due to the increase in the number of states that have legalized marijuana use. There is also the misconception among security clearance holders who thought they could partake in THC use in the state they are in because it was legal there. Also included were two cases involving Guideline A: Allegiance to the United States, which had not been used to deny clearance eligibility in several previous years.
BREAKDOWN OF DENIALS BY ADJUDICATIVE GUIDELINES
Below is a breakdown by adjudicative category of the types of issues involved resulting in the initial denial.
RESOURCES FOR CLEARANCE APPLICANTS AND HOLDERS
For those seeking or already holding a clearance visit ClearanceJobs.com and the ClearanceJobsBlog forum to browse through a variety of topics on security clearance processes and background investigations. You can also pose questions for a subject matter expert to comment on. Just keep in mind the site is merely a place to provide information and facilitate general dialogue about various security clearance topics. No legal advice is being given.
