Guideline A: Allegiance to the United States
In the context of Security Executive Agent Directive (SEAD) 4, Guideline A refers to Allegiance to the United States. This is the foundational guideline for any security clearance, as it addresses the core requirement that an individual must be loyal to the U.S. government.
What is Allegiance to the United States
The primary concern for anyone going through the security clearance process is that an individual must be dedicated to the national security of the United States. Any behavior that suggests a lack of allegiance—particularly involvement in activities aimed at subverting or overthrowing the government—is a critical disqualifier for being granted security clearance eligibility.
Security Concerns under Guideline A
Adjudicators look for any association with groups or movements that seek to undermine the U.S. Constitution or government:
- Sabotage, espionage, treason, terrorism, or sedition against the United States
- Association with anyone involved in sabotage, espionage, treason, terrorism, or sedition
- Associating with people or groups that advocate, threaten, or use force or other unconstitutional means to overthrow the federal government or any other level of government, preventing government officials from performing their duties, or preventing others from exercising their legal rights.
- Supporting, directly or indirectly, any of the above, especially financially.
Conditions that Could Mitigate Security Concerns
Because Allegiance is so fundamental, these concerns are among the hardest to mitigate. Given the polarized nature of American society and the ease with which people can express their thoughts in an instant on social media, it is easier than ever before to say or do something that is recorded and immortalized on the internet. Being truly thoughtful about what one expresses on the internet is especially important.
Lack of Awareness or Intent: The individual was associated with a group but was unaware of its unlawful or subversive aims.
Disassociation: The individual has since recognized the nature of the group and has voluntarily and permanently severed all ties.
Infrequency/Time: The involvement happened a long time ago (e.g., during youth) and was a brief, isolated incident.
Rejection of Ideology: The individual has clearly and publicly renounced the subversive beliefs or movements.
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The Distinction Between Guidelines A, B, and C
While Guidelines A, B, and C deal with concerns about loyalty to the United States and foreign influences, they focus on different threats:
- Guideline A (Allegiance): Focuses on Internal/External Threats—anti-government extremism, terrorism, or revolution. Do you advocate for the violent overthrow of the American system of government?
- Guideline B (Foreign Influence): Are there influences on an individual that will induce them to violate their oath to the U.S. government? Where someone has or had foreign citizenship, travel on foreign passports, or has foreign connections through family, friends, or business interests that might pull them towards the foreign country over the United States.
- Guideline C (Foreign Preference): Focuses on Dual Loyalty—favoring another country over the U.S. when the interests of the two conflict.
Freedom of Speech
In recent years, Guideline A has been used more frequently to evaluate involvement in domestic extremist movements or groups that advocate for violence against government institutions. There is always the concern for the line between freedom of speech and material support or involvement with groups that raise Guideline A issues, and adjudicating those issues, while rarely raised in comparison to some other guidelines, is a delicate matter. Keeping in mind that the burden is on the applicant to demonstrate that it is clearly consistent with the national security of the United States that they be granted access to and can safeguard classified information, this is an area where those in the cleared workforce must understand that their responsibilities may conflict with a fuller conception of their individual rights.
Consult with a Guideline A Security Clearance Attorney
If you are a security clearance application process or cleared worker, facing questions about your associations or activities that call into question your loyalty to the United States can very easily lead to a denial or revocation of a clearance. Someone who is suspected of being a security risk because they may wish to harm themselves or sympathize with those who want to overthrow the government has a hard road to travel to get or maintain a clearance. An experienced security clearance attorney understands the issues at play in these cases and can help build an effective response to rebut allegations of disloyalty. Call our firm today for a free, confidential consultation to discuss your case.
