A U.S. citizen, who happens to be closely related to a “dictator” of an “authoritarian state,” was recently denied a high-level security clearance by the Pentagon because of her family ties, documents show.
The applicant, described as a woman in her 30s working for a defense contractor, appealed her denial of authorization to the Defense Department’s Office of Hearings and Appeals in January, but her request was rejected by an administrative judge because of concerns it could be subject to foreign sanctions. influence.
The woman’s file reveals neither her name, nor the identity of the dictator, nor the name of the country he rules.
This extraordinary case was first reported by CNN.
The facts suggest that the woman’s “close family member” is North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
“Plaintiff has an immediate family member who is the dictator of Country X, which is an authoritarian state,” Administrative Law Judge Edward Loughran wrote in his ruling.
“He is hostile to the United States, with an extremely poor human rights record,” he added. “It supports international terrorism and carries out cyberattacks and espionage against the United States.”
“This connection creates a potential conflict of interest and increased risk of foreign exploitation, incitement, manipulation, pressure and coercion. »
North Korea, Cuba, Iran and Syria are the only four countries designated by the State Department as state sponsors of terrorism.
Among these four countries, North Korea and Iran are classified as state cyber actors by the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Further evidence that suggests “Country X” is North Korea is the hermit kingdom’s globally condemned human rights record and retaliatory efforts against defectors.
The woman immigrated to the United States with her immediate family in the 1990s when she was young, according to the document.
They all became US citizens and she is now married to a US born citizen.
The woman currently holds a secret security clearance, but was looking to upgrade it to top secret.
The Washington Post reported in 2016 that Kim Jong Un’s aunt and her three children fled North Korea in 1998 and settled in the United States.
“No member of his immediate family has ever returned to Country X or maintained contact with any member of his family in Country X,” the document states.
“Country X considers people who leave their country to be traitors, and the country has taken retaliatory measures against some of them,” it continues. “Plaintiff’s parents changed their names and those of their children when they arrived in the United States. »
“Few people outside of the applicant’s immediate family know that she is related to the head of state of country X.”
Loughran noted that security clearance applicants with relatives in hostile countries already face a “very heavy burden” to prove that they will not be susceptible to foreign influence.
But in this woman’s case, “it’s not just the country that is hostile to the United States, it’s also the plaintiff’s family member who is hostile to the United States,” Loughran wrote.
The judge said the woman’s case was “difficult” because “there is nothing about her that makes her a perfect candidate for a security clearance except her family ties to a dictator.”
“Petitioner is intelligent, honest, loyal to the United States, a model employee, and current clearance holder, with no evidence of security concerns,” he wrote, but ultimately decided she was unable to overcome the security concerns raised by his relationships. to the foreign dictator.
The Pentagon did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
New York Post
