Imagine potentially derogatory information has been identified that may have a bearing on your eligibility for access to classified information. Perhaps it is self-reported information or maybe it was discovered as part of the automated continuous evaluation background checks. This information may result in an Incident Report that DCSA CAS or another Agency Adjudicator uses as the basis to issue a Supplemental Information Request (SIR).
In that document, you will find a request for additional information about a specific incident. These Requests are often drafted in question format to which you must provide details in the form of a signed statement. These Requests often have a short window in which to respond, but extensions for good reason may be requested through your security officer.
If your responses to the interrogatories sufficiently mitigate concerns regarding your ability to protect classified information, you may hear from your security officer that your eligibility for access to classified information remains intact. If, however, the adjudicators find that your explanation has failed to mitigate their concerns, you may receive a Statement of Reasons (SOR) outlining an intent to deny or revoke your security clearance based upon allegations relating to the reported or discovered derogatory information in the incident report.
Justyn Ann Baxley is a Partner with JAG Defense. Her practice primarily focuses on security clearance law and administrative law. As a security clearance lawyer, Ms. Baxley has represented hundreds of individuals in security clearance adjudications across virtually every federal agency, to include the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Energy, the National Security Agency, NASA, and others.
