PSH-21-0066 - In the Matter of Personnel Security Hearing

On December 29, 2021, an Administrative Judge determined that an individual's access authorization under 10 C.F.R. Part 710 should be restored. The Individual is employed by a DOE contractor in a position that requires her to hold a DOE security clearance. In 2020, as part of a reinvestigation for her security clearance, the DOE learned that the Individual failed to file her 2019 Federal and state taxes before the April 15th tax deadline. In September 2020, the Individual completed a Letter of Interrogatory (LOI), in which she stated that she was "working on" her 2019 taxes. During the hearing, the Individual testified that she filed her 2019 Federal and state income taxes on October   20, 2020. The Individual stated that she has always prepared her own taxes and, apart from one tax year, she has always received a tax refund. She testified that she believed that if a taxpayer was due a refund, the taxpayer was not required to file taxes by the April 15th deadline. She explained that she has since completed an online tax preparation course and is now employing the services of a professional tax preparation company. After considering the evidence in the record and testimony presented at the hearing, the Administrative Judge determined that the Individual had resolved the security concerns associated with Guideline F. Accordingly, she concluded that the Individual's access authorization should be restored. OHA Case No. PSH-21-0066 (Katie Quintana)