PSH-24-0052 - In the Matter of Personnel Security Hearing

On April 2, 2024, an Administrative Judge determined that an Individual should not be granted access authorization under 10 C.F.R. Part 710. The Individual signed and submitted a Questionnaire for National Security Positions (QNSP) in connection with seeking access authorization. The Individual disclosed on the QNSP that he had been terminated by a former employer for time theft and disciplined by another former employer. A background investigation of the Individual revealed that he had failed to disclose on the QNSP that he left an internship under such circumstances that his manager did not recommend him for employment or access authorization, he was ineligible for rehire by another employer because he did not provide notice before resigning, and he had dropped out of a graduate studies program after approximately one month of attendance. At the hearing, the Individual acknowledged that he had acted wrongly in committing time theft, which he characterized as a relatively minor infraction, and testified that the other security concerns were based on good faith misunderstandings and circumstances that were unlikely to recur. The Administrative Judge concluded that the Individual's explanations for his conduct had not resolved the security concerns asserted by the local security office under Guideline E, and therefore determined that the Individual should not be granted access authorization. (OHA Case No. PSH-24-0052, Harmonick)