PSH-24-0166 - In the Matter of Personnel Security Hearing

On November 22, 2024, an Administrative Judge determined that an individual's access authorization should not be restored under 10 C.F.R. Part 710. The Individual failed to report a wage garnishment within three days, as required by DOE Order 472.2A, and on her Questionnaire for National Security Positions (QNSP). The Individual also failed to report on her QNSP that she had failed to pay federal taxes for tax years 2018 and 2019, and she failed to correct this omission during two subsequent investigatory interviews. Not until responding to a Letter of Interrogatory, eight months after completing the QNSP, did the Individual acknowledge the wage garnishment and delinquent tax filings. As of the hearing, the Individual had still not filed her tax returns for tax years 2018 and 2019, and had made little progress in doing so. The Administrative Judge concluded that the Individual had not mitigated the concerns under Guideline E or Guideline F, and therefore her clearance should not be restored. (OHA Case No. PSH-24-0166, Rotman)