RESPONDENT's BRIEF (P) Case: 11-3231 Document: 33 Page: 2 Filed:WEST/CRS 05/30/2012
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Case: 11-3231 Document: 33 Page: 1 Filed: 05/30/2012 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllIIIII111111 USFC2011-3231-03 {DCOFAD02-A3F3-41 77-B1 7B-D68EA05E647F} {118231}{54-120612:113016}{053012} RESPONDENT'S BRIEF (P) Case: 11-3231 Document: 33 Page: 2 Filed:WEST/CRS 05/30/2012 2011-3231 UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT ROBERT J. MACLEAN, Petitioner, We DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, Respondent. i i Petition for Review of the Merit Systems Protection Board decision in Case No. SF-0752-06-0611-I-2. i , BRIEF AND SUPPLEMENTAL APPENDIX FOR RESPONDENT, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY STUART F. DELERY Acting Assistant Attorney General JEANNE E. DAVIDSON fllfP_. -i_roi_ Director U_eOu_ o_ ter-_ TODD M. HUGHES 30 701l Deputy Director MICHAEL P. GOODMAN Trial Attorney U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division PO Box 480; Ben Franklin Station Washington, DC 20044 Tel: (202) 305-2087 May 30, 2012 Attorneys for Respondent Case: 11-3231 Document: 33 Page: 3 Filed: 05/30/2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................... i TABLE OF AUTHORITIES ....................... ........................................................... iii STATEMENT OF RELATED CASES ................................................................... vi STATEMENT OF THE ISSUES ............................................................................... 1 STATEMENT OF THE CASE .................................................................................. 2 I. Nature Of The Case ............................................................................... 2 II. Course Of Proceedings Below .............................................................. 2 STATEMENT OF THE FACTS ............................................................................... 8 I. Statutory and Regulatory Background of Sensitive Security Information ............................................................................................ 8 II. Air Marshals on Planes ....................................................................... 11 III. Relevant Factual Background ............................................................. 12 SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT ............................................................................... 15 ARGUMENT ........................................................................................................... 18 I. Standard Of Review ............................................................................ 18 II. Substantial Evidence Supports the Board's Finding That Mr. MacLean Disclosed SSI ...................................................................... 19 A. The Information That Mr. MacLean Disclosed is SSI ............. 19 B. Mr. MacLean Should Have Known That The Information He Disclosed Was SSI And That He Could Not Disclose SSI; It Is Irrelevant Whether He Had A "Good Faith Basis" Otherwise .................................................................................. 25 Case: 11-3231 Document: 33 Page: 4 Filed: 05/30/2012 III. The Board Did Not Abuse its Discretion in Finding That Mr. MacLean's Termination Serves the Efficiency of the Service...........30 IV. Substantial Evidence Supports the Board's Finding That Mr. MacLean Was Not Removed For His FLEOA Activities ................... 40 V. Mr. MacLean's Removal Does Not Violate The Whistleblower Protection Act ..................................... :.............................................. ..43 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................ 50 SUPPLEMENTAL APPENDIX SSI Policies and Procedures ............................................................................ SAI-13 Mr. MacLean's Acceptance of Conditions of Employment ........................ SA 14-16 Report of Investigation and Attachments ..................................................... SA 17-43 Final Order on SSI ........................................................................... ............ SA44-45 Proposal to Remove ...................................................................................... SA46-48 Notice of Removal ........................................................................................ SA49-51 MacLean's Response to Proposal to Remove ...................... ......................... SA52-64 MSPB Hearing Transcript Excerpts..: ........................................................... SA65-69 ii Case: 11-3231 Document: 33 Page: 5 Filed: 05/30/2012 TABLE OF AUTHORITIES CASES Brennan v. DepartmentofHealthandHuman Servs., 787 F.2d 1559 (Fed. Cir. 1986) .......................................................................... 20 Brewer v. United States Postal Service, 47 F.2d 1093 (Ct. C1.1981), cert. denied, 454 U.S. 1144 (1982) ...................... 18 Cheeseman v. Office ofPersonnelManagement, 791F.2d 138 (Fed. Cir. 1986) ............................................................................ 18 Consolidated Edison Co. v. National Labor Relations Board, 305 U.S. 197 (1938) ............................................................................................ 18 Cumin v. Office ofPers. Mgm_, 846 F.2d 1373 (Fed. Cir. 1988) ............................ _............................................. 40 Douglas v. Veterans' Admin., 5 M.S.P.R. 280 (1981) .................................................................................. 15, 34 Gilmore v. Gonzales, 435 F.3d 1125 (9th Cir. 2006) ............................................................................ 20 Lachance v. Merit Sys. Prot. Bd., 147 F.3d 1367 (Fed. Cir. 1998) .......................................................................... 20 MacLean v. Dep 't of Homeland Sec., 543 F.3d 1145 (9th Cir. 2008) ................................................... 2-3, 13, 20, 22-23 MacLean v. Dep 't of Homeland Sec., 112 M.S.P.R. 4 (2009) (MacLean I) ......................................................... 3, 44-45 Parker v. United States Postal Service, 819 F.2d 1113 (Fed. Cir. 1987) .......................................................................... 18 Sandel v. Office of Personnel Management, 8 F.3d 1184 (Fed. Cir. 1994) .............................................................................. 18 iii Case: 11-3231 Document: 33 Page: 6 Filed: 05/30/2012 Spezzaferro v. FAA, 807 F.2d 169 (Fed. Cir. 1986) ............................................................................ 40 Welshans v. U.S. Postal Serv., 550 F.3d 1100 (Fed. Cir. 2008) .......................................................................... 19 STATUTES AND REGULATIONS 5 U.S.C. § 2302 (Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA)) .............................. 6, 43-50 5 U.S.C. § 7703 ........................................................................................................ 18 49 U.S.C. § 114 .............................................................................................. 9, 17, 45 49 U.S.C. § 40119 ............................................................................... 9-10, 17, 45-47 49 U.S.C. § 44917 (Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA)) ............... 12 Pub. L. No. 93-366, see. 202, 316, 88 Stat. 409, 415-17 (1974) ....... ....................... 8 Pub. L. No. 107-71, § 101, 115 Stat. 597, 597-604 (2001) (Aviation and Transportation Security Act or ATSA) .................................................................. 8-9 Pub. L. No. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135 (Homeland Security Act of 2002) ............ 9, 17 Pub. L. No. 110-161, Div. E, § 568(a), 121 Stat. 1844, 2092 (Dec. 26, 2007) (Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008) ............................................................ 9, 17 49 C.F.R. Pt. 1520 ...................................................................................................... 9 49 C.F.R. § 1500.3 ............................................................ _........................................ 9 49 C.F.R. § 1520.5 ................................................................................................... 11 49 C.F.R. § 1520.7 (2002) ................................................................. 3, 11, 19-22, 34 iv Case: 11-3231 Document: 33 Page: 7 Filed: 05/30/2012 STATEMENT OF RELATED CASES Pursuant to Fed. Cir. 47.5, counsel for respondent respectfully informs the Court that MacLean v. Dep 't of HomelandSec., 543 F.3d 1145 (9th Cir. 2008), is related to this appeal. Respondent is not aware of any other cases pending in this or any other court that will directly affect or be directly affected by this Court's decision in this case. V Case: 11-3231 Document: 33 Page: 8 Filed: 05/30/2012 No. 2011-3231 UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT ROBERT J. MACLEAN, Petitioner, V. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, Respondent. Petition for Review of the Merit Systems Protection Board decision in Case No. SF-0752-06-0611-I-2. STATEMENT OF THE ISSUES ° Is the Merit Systems Protection Board's finding that Mr. MacLean engaged in an unauthorized disclosure of Sensitive Security Information (SSI) supported by substantial evidence? , Did the Board abuse its discretion in finding that Mr. MacLean's removal improves the efficiency of the service? . Is the Board's finding that Mr. MacLean was not removed for his membership in a labor group supported by substantial evidence? . Does Mr. MacLean's removal violate the Whistleblower Protection Act? Case: 11-3231 Document: 33 Page: 9 Filed: 05/30/2012 STATEMENT OF THE