Opinion ID: 529707
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Clearance Revocation

Text: 18 Section 831 states that the Secretary of Defense 19 shall prescribe such regulations relating to continuing security procedures as he considers necessary to assure-- 20 (1) that no person shall be employed in, or detailed or assigned to, the National Security Agency ... or continue to be so employed, detailed, or assigned; and (2) that no person so employed, detailed, or assigned shall have access to any classified information; 21 unless such employment, detail, assignment, or access to classified information is clearly consistent with the national security. 22 50 U.S.C. Sec. 832(a), moreover, requires that all NSA employees be cleared for access to classified information in accordance with the provisions of this subchapter. Under Sec. 832(b), a board of appraisal appointed by the NSA Director shall appraise the loyalty and suitability of persons for access to classified information, in those cases in which the Director of the Agency determines that there is a doubt whether their access to that information would be clearly consistent with the national security. In addition, [n]o person shall be cleared for access to classified information, contrary to the recommendations of any such board, absent a determination by the Secretary of Defense or his designee that such access is in the national interest. 50 U.S.C. Sec. 832(b). 23 Chapter 371, promulgated in part pursuant to Secs. 831-35, prescribes policies and procedures governing actions to limit access to classified information ... for reasons of national security. Ch. 371, Sec. 1-1, J.A. at 228. Chapter 371 further provides that: 24 The Director shall refer to a duly constituted Board [of Appraisal] those cases in which he determines that there is a doubt as to an employee's eligibility for access to classified information. Authority to refer such cases has been delegated to the Assistant Director for Personnel and Security. The Board shall proceed in accordance with the provisions of NSA Regulation No. 30-4. 25 Id., Sec. 1-5, J.A. at 229. 26 Regulation 30-4 establishes boards of appraisal ... as required by Public Law 88-290 [50 U.S.C. Secs. 831-35.] NSA Regulation No. 30-4, Sec. I-1 (June 22, 1964) [hereinafter cited as NSA Reg. 30-4], J.A. at 77. In addition, Department of Defense Directive 5210.45 states that its purpose is to prescribe policies and procedures to implement Public Law 88-290.... Dep't of Defense Directive No. 5210.45, Sec. I-1 (May 9, 1964) [hereinafter cited as DoD Dir. 5210.45], J.A. at 73. Both documents state that the NSA Director shall refer to these boards of appraisal those cases in which he determines that there is a doubt as to [the] eligibility for access to classified information of an employee or person assigned or detailed to [NSA]. DoD Dir. 5210.45, Sec. IV-B, J.A. at 74; NSA Reg. 30-4, Sec. II-4, J.A. at 78. Regulation 30-4 goes on to mandate that [n]o person shall be cleared for access to classified information contrary to the recommendation of a board except on authority of the NSA Director or, upon referral, of the Secretary of Defense. NSA Reg. 30-4, Sec. II-6, J.A. at 78. Directive 5210.45 uses similar language but refers to access or continued access and to Agency classified information. DoD Dir. 5210.45, Sec. IV-C, J.A. at 74-75. 27 NSA's revocation of Doe's security clearance followed these regulations. NSA's 1982 letter to Doe proposing to remove his access to SCI and to terminate his employment stated that NSA considered his continued access to classified information not clearly consistent with the national security. The letter concluded that Doe's contacts with foreign nationals raised doubts about his judgment and, consequently, about his suitability for access to SCI. J.A. at 82-83. Subsequently, the NSA Director appointed a board of appraisal pursuant to Regulation 30-4. J.A. at 99. The board determined that Doe did not meet the minimum standards for access to SCI, J.A. at 106-08, as laid out in Director of Central Intelligence Directive 1/14 (Sept. 1, 1983), Govt. Br. at 1a, which is intended to apply to all United States Government personnel with access to SCI, id. at 3a. In the wake of this finding, Regulation 30-4 and Directive 5210.45 required the NSA Director or the Secretary of Defense either to revoke Doe's SCI clearance or to make a finding that Doe's continued access to SCI was in the interests of national security. NSA Reg. 30-4, Sec. II-6, J.A. at 78; DoD Dir. 5210.45, Sec. IV-C, J.A. at 74-75. Since the Regulation and Directive were both implemented pursuant to Secs. 831-35 and the NSA Director explicitly accepted the board's recommendation, J.A. at 193, the Director's revocation of Doe's clearance is an exercise of ... authority granted by [Secs. 831-35], 50 U.S.C. Sec. 835. 3 Section 835 makes such decisions unreviewable. Thus, we are precluded from reviewing NSA's revocation of Doe's access to SCI. 4