Woman failed to obtain top-secret US security clearance due to her close familial ties with a dictator.
The administrative judge in the situation made a unique choice by refusing the applicant's clearance approval since she's linked to a "very bad and harmful individual, the leader of a country hostile to the United States."
As per CNN's earlier report, over 1.2 million individuals had top-secret security clearances as of October 2017.
The unsigned applicant, aged around thirty, has been wedded to an American-born US citizen and has spent several years working for defense contractors. The entire family migrated to the US during the 1990s when she was still young, becoming American citizens. The family has cut off all ties with those remaining in the country, known only as "Country X" in the documents.
The judge argues that Country X supports international terrorism, regularly carries out cyberattacks and espionage against the US.
"Applicant was born a citizen of Country X," the document reveals. "A close family member (cousin, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew) is the tyrant of Country X. Applicant's parents and their offspring, including Applicant, immigrated to the United States in the 1990s when she was young. They all became U.S. citizens."
The family altered their names upon entering the United States, although the applicant shared her mother's worry about potential retaliatory actions.
The person in question currently holds a secret security clearance, and there have not been any issues with her handling confidential information.
'An exceptional candidate'
Administration judge, Edward Loughran, remarked in the document, "This is a challenging case because the applicant is intelligent, honest, faithful to the United States, a model employee, and has no security concerns recorded. She credibly claimed that her ties with Country X and its absolute ruler could never be used to coerce or threaten her into disclosing classified information."
"The issue here is her family connection to a despot. The applicant is an ideal candidate for a security clearance with the exception of her relationship to the authoritarian ruler," Loughran added.
Public postings of administrative decisions regarding security clearance eligibility are a standard procedure conducted by the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals.
Dr. Marek Posard, a military sociologist at the RAND Corporation, suggested that the individual could be from North Korea. Posard justified his claim stating, "The information disclosed suggests she could be from North Korea. It mentions a despot and state terrorism. Only four countries support state terrorism - two of them are involved in cyberattacks and one is extremely fierce in retaliatory actions, which is North Korea."
The US presently lists four countries as sponsors of state terrorism: North Korea, Cuba, Syria, and Iran.
CNN reported in 2016 that North Korean despot Kim Jong-Un's aunt and her three children immigrated to the United States in 1998. The document Loughran used in his decision claimed that Country X "considers people who leave their nation to be traitors, and the nation has taken retaliatory measurements against some of them."
The request for clearance was sent to Loughran in October 2023, and the case was closed in January. The records intentionally keep details about the applicant and her family undisclosed to protect her privacy.
Judge recognized 'Unwavering loyalty' to US
Posard pointed out that the judge was careful not to denounce the applicant in the records, mentioning the judge's repeated acknowledgement of the woman's dedication to the US. He mentions in the paperwork, "Applicant expressed her unwavering loyalty and devotion to the United States."
Posard also noted that the judge did not undermine the applicant's character or capabilities. "The judge is very careful not to insult the applicant in the paperwork," Posard said. Loughran emphasizes multiple times in the records the applicant's admirable person, emphasizing that he has a highly favorable impression of her.
"The United States has received favorable comments on Applicant’s job performance and strong moral character. Recommendations for a security clearance are presented. She is a good individual who happens to be related to a very dangerous and harmful person, the leader of a country that opposes the United States," Loughran wrote.
Posard also pointed out that it was unsurprising the woman had previously received secret clearance, but her situation could have significantly changed in the interim, namely the international climate and altering geopolitical scenes.
"One thing people tend to overlook is that you don't instantly obtain all the secrets of the kingdom with a secret clearance," Posard explained. A secret clearance is the second lowest-level security clearance granted. In October 2017 alone, more than 2.8 million individuals held some form of security clearance: more than 1.6 million had confidential or secret clearance levels, and around 1.2 million had access to top-secret information.
"The possible danger isn't only about you as an individual, but it also includes your distant circle of connections. When we consider the background check process, it's not necessarily implying that there's something wrong with you as a person—instead, risks can emerge through your network that might not cross our minds."
"She's not to blame," he clarified, "but if North Korea plans to benefit from these connections, we should be vigilant and prepared beforehand."
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Source: edition.cnn.com
