WPCS !T(tE h xn|!qèݱ=lSߋw }]z.(Pm\aW+n5+ΜYB vJY<N*s:f $ˢ 3H.zH-mL{eX5]gޒO;Ӂ9FpF0>sZ Pc!IYn$HBm#뾄9R;&uFe^m,֙ ٭CO_pcG#x(ZB]DYuB&ӵT>XEҕY!Y$FќaH\ϐ@J}j# eev'oݝsH--bܠifQͻhPFxe Քm^ˆFb h6ljdEvug~ϯa (T؃~\Ġ̉"EO,HW#U N % 0: Z ^ s w 4   m N 0 Zj b 0D N E H X J333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333 B6Hewlett-Packard HP LaserJet P3010 Series0(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularX($USUS.,8DocumentManagement::ModifiedBooleanTRUE+SmJ  ͌$USUS.,<XX      1    _ԀInrespondingtothe_SOR_,ApplicantactuallyadmittedheusedmarijuanafromMarch1999(insteadof2009)  toJune2011.   ͌$USUS.,<XX      2    _ԀFORMat2.Ofnote,Applicantwasprovidedanopportunitytofileobjectionsandsubmitadditional  informationwithin30daysafterreceiptoftheFORM,buthedidnotcommentonthepurportedmathematicalerror.He t submittednoresponsetotheFORM.   ͌$USUS.,<XX      3    _ԀDirective,Enclosure226(a): thebehaviorhappenedsolongago,wassoinfrequent,orhappenedundersuch  circumstancesthatitisunlikelytorecurordoesnotcastdoubtontheindividualscurrentreliability,trustworthiness, t orgoodjudgment[.] @  ͌$USUS.,<XX      4    _ԀDirective,Enclosure226(b): ademonstratedintentnottoabusedrugsinthefuture,suchas:(1)  disassociationfromdrugusingassociatesandcontacts;(2)changingoravoidingtheenvironmentwheredrugswereused; t (3)anappropriateperiodofabstinence;(4)asignedstatementofintentwithautomaticrevocationofclearanceforany 8  violation[.]   ͌$USUS.,<XX      5    _ԀIntheAppealBrief,Applicantalsoprovidedassertionsabouthisperiodsofmarijuanaabstinence,his  disassociationwithdrugusingfriends,andhiscyclingregimethatwerenotpreviouslypresentedtotheJudge.Those t assertionsalsoconstitutenewevidencethattheAppealBoardmaynotconsider.DirectiveE3.1.29. d !USUS.,  _KEYWORD:GuidelineH  DIGEST:AnerrorinaFileofRelevantMaterialisnotanappealableissue.Theerrorinthe  Judgesfindingsoffactwasharmless.ApartysdisagreementwithaJudgesweighingofthe t evidenceisnotsufficienttoshowthattheJudgemisweighedtheevidence.TheAppealBoard ` cannotconsidernewevidenceonappeal.StatementininterviewsummarythatApplicantcannot L  beblackmailedrepresentsApplicantsanswerstoquestions,nottheininterviewersopinionasto 8  Applicantseligibilityforaclearance.Adversedecisionaffirmed. $ t CASENO:1500535.a1  L  DATE:03/13/2017 $  8<dd8       `     h      p DATE:March13,2017 4 .؉7r(#(#.AV) xdEgA 4 InRe: /     ApplicantforSecurityClearance { AV) xdER!gA S!  ) 4  )  ! )  " ) # ) $ ) % ) l& ) X '  D!( pX p _ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1500535 +  , .؉7r. \XXp #l,    APPEALBOARDDECISION $X- APPEARANCES &"0  &%XX FORGOVERNMENT  (#2 JamesB.Norman,Esq.,ChiefDepartmentCounsel |)$3  FORAPPLICANT  ,+|&5  Prose #XX%&# ,T'6  -)8     TheDepartmentofDefense(DoD)declinedtograntApplicantasecurityclearance.On  January27,2016,DoDissuedastatementofreasons(_SOR_)advisingApplicantofthebasisforthat  decision!securityconcernsraisedunderGuidelineH(DrugInvolvement)ofDepartmentofDefense  Directive5220.6(Jan.2,1992,asamended)(Directive).Applicantrequestedadecisiononthe t writtenrecord.OnJanuary4,2017,afterconsideringtherecord,DefenseOfficeofHearingsand ` Appeals(DOHA)AdministrativeJudgeRobertE.CoacherdeniedApplicantsrequestforasecurity L  clearance.ApplicantappealedpursuanttoDirectiveE3.1.28andE3.1.30. 8     `   Applicantraisedthefollowingissueonappeal:whethertheJudgeerredinthefindingsof  ` fact;whethertheJudgeerredinhisapplicationofthemitigatingconditionsandwholeperson  L  analysis;andwhethertheJudgesadversedecisionwasarbitrary,capricious,orcontrarytolaw.  8  Consistentwiththefollowing,weaffirm. $  _   TheJudgesFindingsofFact      Applicantisa36yearoldemployeeofadefensecontractor.Heearnedabachelorsdegree   in2002.HehasheldasecurityclearancesinceatleastFebruary2005.InrespondingtotheSOR, p headmittedusingmarijuana,withvaryingfrequency,fromMarch2009toJune2011;usingcocaine \ onceinFebruary2006;andusingmarijuanaandcocainewhileholdingasecurityclearance. #  1      ׀During H college,heusedmarijuanaaboutonceaweek.From20022007and20082009,heusedmarijuana 4 aboutonceeveryweekortwo.Healsousedit afewtimeswhilestayingwithfriends.Decision  p at2.HislastadmittedusewasinJune2011whileattendingawedding.Inhissecurityclearance  \ application,heclaimedthathedidnotintendtousecontrolledsubstancesinthefuture.Henoted H thatmarijuanausecausedhimheadachesandimpairedhisthinking.Henowintendstolivea 4 heathierlifestyle,whichincludesextensivecycling.Hedidnotpresentanyinformationabouthis   workperformanceorotherfactsthatcouldbeusedtoassesstheapplicabilityofwholeperson   factors.    TheJudgesAnalysis      `   TheJudgeconcludedthatdisqualifyingconditions25(a) anydrugabuseand25(g) any X  illegaldruguseafterbeinggrantedasecurityclearanceapplied.ManyofApplicantsmarijuana D! usesandhisonetimeuseofcocaineoccurredwhileheheldasecurityclearance.Althoughsuchdrug 0"  useoccurredanumberofyearsago,insufficientevidenceexiststodeterminehewillchangehis #l! behavior.TheJudgewasnotpersuadedbyApplicantsclaimedintentiontonotusemarijuanaagain $X" becauseitcausedhimheadaches.Applicantdidnotprovideasignedstatementofintentwith $D # automaticrevocationofsecurityclearanceforanyfutureviolations.Givenhisage,education,and %0!$ securityclearancestatus,hisextensivedrugusecallsintoquestionhisreliability,trustworthiness, &"% andgoodjudgment.  '#&    (#'    Discussion       Applicantcontendsamathematicalerrorwasmadeincomputingtheperiodofhismarijuana  use.Specifically,hepointstothefollowingsentence, Applicantcontinuedtouseillegaldrugs, t admittedlyintermittently,fornineyearsaftergraduatingfromcollegein2002.AppealBriefat2. ` Excludingperiodsofabstinence,hearguestheperiodofhismarijuanausagewassevenyears. L  However,thesentencethatApplicantquotesdoesnotappearintheJudgesdecision.Thequoted 8  sentenceisfromDepartmentCounselsFileofRelevantMaterial(FORM). #  2      ׀AnerrorinaFORM $ t isnotanappealableissue.TheAppealBoardsscopeofreviewislimitedtodeterminingwhether  ` theJudgecommittedharmfulerror.DirectiveE3.1.32.  L    ApplicantalsocontendsthattheJudgeerredinsummarizingtheperiodsofhismarijuanause $  listedinhissecurityclearanceapplication(SCA),inwhichhestated:   8  Whileastudentat[nameofcollege]before2002,Iusedmarijuanaaboutonceevery   monthanddidntnoticeanyeffect.Whileastudentin2002,Ifirstnoticedaneffect   andusedmarijuanaaboutonceaweek.In2004and2005Iusedmarijuanaonsome p weekendsspentvisitingfriendswhowerestudentsat[nameofcollege].Whileliving \ in[anoverseaslocation](20062007and20082009)Iusedmarijuanaaboutonce H everyweekortwo.Duringmymostrecentstayin[theoverseaslocation],some 4 friendsofferedmemarijuanaafewtimesduringNov2010andIusedit.Ata  p weddinginJune2011marijuanawaspassedtomeseveraltimes,Iuseditonceand  \ declinedtherest.H   Withoneexception,theJudgesfindingsabouttheperiodsofApplicantsmarijuanausecomport   withhisSCAdisclosure.TheexceptioninvolvestheJudgesfindingthatApplicantusedmarijuana   from20022007.InhisSCAdisclosure,Applicantadmittedusingmarijuanain2002and2004  2007,butmakesnomentionof2003.WhiletheJudgemayhaveerredinfindingApplicantused  marijuanain2003,wefinditwasaharmlesserrorbecauseitlikelyhadnoaffectontheJudges  decision.See,e.g.,ISCRCaseNo.1203420at3(App.Bd.Jul.25,2014). l Ѐ  ApplicantarguesthattheJudgeerredinconcludingthatmitigatingconditions26(a) #  3      ׀and D! 26(b) #  4      ׀didnotapply.Indoingso,henotestheJudgesdecisionomittedastatementhemadeduring 0"  hisbackgroundinterviewabouthistransitiontoaheathylifestyle.Hefailed,however,torebutthe  presumptionthattheJudgeconsideredalltheevidenceintherecord.See,e.g.,ISCRCaseNo.12  05959at2(App.Bd.Apr.6,2016).Inarguingforapplicationofthosemitigatingconditions,  Applicantalsopointsto,amongothermatters,theperiodthathaselapsedsincehislastmarijuana t use,theextentofhismarijuanause,andhistransitiontoahealthylifestyle.Suchargumentsamount ` toadisagreementwiththeJudgesweighingoftheevidence.Apartysdisagreementwiththe L  Judgesweighingoftheevidence,oranabilitytoargueforadifferentinterpretationoftheevidence, 8  isnotsufficienttodemonstratetheJudgeweighedtheevidenceorreachedconclusionsinamanner $ t thatisarbitrary,capricious,orcontrarytolaw.See,e.g.,ISCRCaseNo.1406440at4(App.Bd.  ` Jan.8,2016).  L    Applicantfurthercontendsthathebelievedhis initialsubmission(whichweinterpretas $  hisSORresponse)was asignedstatementofintent.AppealBriefat3.InhisSORresponse,_he   stated, Ihaventuseddrugssincethelasttimereportedabove(June2011)anddonotwishto   resume.Ivaluemycareerandthetrustplacedinmeandwillnotjeopardizeitagain.His_SOR_   response,however,fallsshortofthestatementenvisionedinmitigatingcondition26(b)(4)because   itdoesnotcontainlanguagethathissecurityclearancecouldbeautomaticallyrevokedforanyfuture p drugviolation.Althoughheincludedaconforming signedstatementofintentinhisAppealBrief, \ itconstitutesnewevidencethattheBoardmaynotreceiveorconsider.DirectiveE3.1.29.T #  5       H Ѐ  Insupportofhisarguments,Applicantpointstothestatementinthesummaryofhis  p backgroundinterviewthat [_t]here_Ԁisnothinginthesubjectsbackgroundthatcouldbeusedto  \ blackmailorcoercehimtoincludehissecurityviolation,providingfinancialsupporttoforeign H nationals,contactwithforeignnationals,drugandalcoholuse.AppealBriefat4.AstheAppeal 4 Boardhaspreviouslystated,suchstatementsinthesummaryofaclearanceinterviewrepresentan   applicantsanswerstotheinterviewersquestions,nottheinterviewersopinionastoanapplicants   worthinessforaclearance.See,e.g.,_ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1403069at3(App.Bd.Jul.30,2015).Inany  event,evenifaninvestigatorprovidedsuchanopinionitwouldnotbindtheDoDinitsevaluation  ofanapplicantscase.    TheJudgeswholepersonanalysisissupportablebecauseApplicantssecuritysignificant X  conductwasevaluatedinlightoftheentiretyoftherecordevidence.See,e.g.,_ISCR_ԀCaseNo.14 D! 02806at4(App.Bd.Sep.9,2015).Applicanthasnotidentifiedanyharmfulerrorlikelytochange 0"  theoutcomeofthecase.TheJudgeexaminedtherelevantevidenceandarticulatedasatisfactory #l! explanationforthedecision. Thegeneralstandardisthataclearancemaybegrantedonlywhen $X" clearlyconsistentwiththeinterestsofthenationalsecurity.DepartmentoftheNavyv.Egan,484 $D #  U.S.518,528(1988).SeealsoDirective,Enclosure22(b): Anydoubtconcerningpersonnel %0!$ beingconsideredforaccesstoclassifiedinformationwillberesolvedinfavorofthenational  security.Thedecisionissustainableonthisrecord.   ____________@( Order      TheDecisionis AFFIRMED . \    `     h   Signed:Michael_Raanan_Ԁ `    `     h   Michael_Raanan_ L    `     h   AdministrativeJudge 8    `     h   Chairperson,AppealBoard $    `     h        `     h   Signed:JamesE.Moody     `     h   JamesE.Moody p    `     h   AdministrativeJudge \     `     h   Member,AppealBoard H!    `     h      p      `     h   Signed:JamesF.Duffy__ $H #    `     h   JamesF.Duffy %4!$    `     h   AdministrativeJudge & "%    `     h   Member,Appeal_Board___ ' #&