When a member of the government or an interested private party seeks national security clearance, whether they be a military officer or a Secret Service agent, they must meet several guidelines before they can be approved. The guidelines are labeled A through M, with each one covering a different topic of concern. In this blog series, we will discuss each security clearance guideline, starting with A: Allegiance to the U.S.
Are You Undoubtedly Allied with the United States?
It makes sense that the first security clearance concern would be whether or not the person seeking clearance actually likes the United States of America and wants to see it prosper. Just as a football coach won’t share their playbook with their rivals, the government won’t share any of their secrets with someone who might stand against them, either presently or possibly in the future.
Behaviors that raise an alarm regarding Guideline A include:
- Attempting to alter or overthrow the government through unconstitutional methods.
- Showing sympathy for a person who did or attempted to harm to US government.
- Being associated with a person who has or intends to undermine the government.
- Performing any activity that stops another from exercising their constitutional rights.
Proving Your Allegiance
A person can find themselves facing a security clearance denial based on simple misunderstandings or a lack of factual information. If you have been accused of not having allegiance to the United States and its best interests, you may be able to lessen or otherwise mitigate the government’s concerns.
Proving these conditions exist can benefit your case:
- You cut ties with an unallied person or organization as soon as you learned of their actions or intentions.
- Your association with an unallied group did not extend past any lawful or humanitarian efforts of that group.
- Your potentially questionable actions were brief and conducted out of pure curiosity or for educational gain.
- You have not been associated with any unallied organization for an extended period of time.
At The Edmunds Law Firm, our security clearance lawyers are considered to be some of the best in the nation. With a track record of success dating all the way back to 1976, you can have confidence that our attorneys will be able to help you after you are denied security clearance due to Guideline A. Contact us today to learn more about our services and your options.