PSH-22-0094 - In the Matter of Personnel Security Hearing

On September 21, 2022, an Administrative Judge determined that an individual's access authorization under 10 C.F.R. Part 710 should be denied. The Individual is employed by a DOE contractor in a position that requires him to hold a security clearance. In completing a Questionnaire for National Security Positions (QNSP) in January 2020, the Individual disclosed that he had previously been arrested and charged with "Drunk in Public." In completing a Letter of Interrogatory (LOI) in January 2022, the Individual disclosed that, in 2019, his wife called law enforcement due to his intoxication. In February 2022, the Individual underwent a psychological evaluation with a DOE consultant psychologist (Psychologist). The Psychologist opined that the Individual binges alcohol habitually two to four times per month to the point of impaired judgment. She concluded that, at the time of the evaluation, the Individual had not demonstrated adequate evidence of rehabilitation. At the hearing, the Individual testified that, although he had reduced his alcohol consumption, he does not count the number of alcoholic beverages he consumes on any given occasion. He further provided discrepant testimony regarding his current alcohol consumption patterns. After hearing the Individual's testimony, the Psychologist opined that the Individual continued to engage in binge drinking and had not demonstrated that he had "rehabilitated or otherwise reformed his use of alcohol." After considering the evidence in the record and testimony presented at the hearing, the Administrative Judge determined that the Individual had not resolved the security concerns associated with Guideline G . Accordingly, she concluded that the Individual's access authorization should be denied. OHA Case No. PSH-22-0094 (Katie Quintana)