DOE Contractor Loses Clearance After Being Caught in Lies

In many security clearance appeals, applicants complete multiple questionnaires but fail to disclose prior drug use on the initial forms—only to admit it on a later one. They often seem unaware that earlier submissions will be reviewed and compared. That is precisely what happened to a DOE contractor who had his clearance eligibility revoked based on personal conduct concerns and subsequently appealed his case. Here are the highlights.

The applicant filled out his first SF-86 for an internship in May 2019 and marked “No” to having used any illegal drugs. He was granted security clearance shortly thereafter and then left the company after completing his internship. He obtained another cleared position with a DOE contractor and submitted an additional SF-86 in May 2020, again answering “No” to the drug questions. His clearance was reinstated. In August 2024, the applicant submitted a third SF-86 for a reinvestigation, and this time disclosed that he had used marijuana 3-4 times between August 2018 and September 2021. After reviewing his previously submitted SF-86s, the local security official revoked his clearance eligibility based on the previous falsifications about drug use.

At his appeal hearing, the applicant claimed that he did not remember answering the drug questions and didn’t understand the significance of being totally honest and truthful. He suggested that because marijuana was legal in the states where he used it, this may have influenced his decision to answer “No” to the drug-related questions. The judge opined that although the drug use itself was minor and is mitigated by time elapsed since the last use, the fact that the applicant concealed it on two separate questionnaires and was granted access based on those falsifications casted doubt on his honesty and integrity. Any doubts about an individual having access to classified information will always fall on the side of national security – clearance reinstatement was denied.