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ISCR Case 22-01603 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 22-01603

A decided public DOHA case, shown for research — not advice or a prediction.

Case Profile
Decision Date2/28/2023
Statusgranted
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Candace Le'i Garcia
Government Counsel: Mark D. Lawton
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 50-year-old individual seeking a security clearance, facing allegations under Guideline F (financial considerations) due to multiple delinquent debts totaling approximately $21,710. The Statement of Reasons (SOR) outlined specific debts, including charged-off accounts and medical debts, which raised concerns about the applicant's financial reliability and judgment.
In her response to the SOR, the applicant admitted to several debts while denying others, asserting that her financial difficulties stemmed from periods of unemployment. She provided evidence of her efforts to resolve some debts, including working with a credit repair company and disputing inaccuracies on her credit reports. The applicant claimed that some debts had been paid or deleted from her credit history, and she maintained that her current financial situation was stable, with no delinquent medical debts reported in her most recent credit report.
The administrative judge ruled in favor of the applicant, concluding that she had mitigated the financial concerns. The judge found that the applicant's past financial difficulties were largely beyond her control and that she had made good-faith efforts to address her debts. The judge determined that the applicant's current reliability and trustworthiness were not in doubt, thus granting her eligibility for access to classified information.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · For Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 22-01603

grantedFeb 28, 2023· Hon. Candace Le'i Garcia· hearing

Summary

This security clearance decision involved a 50-year-old unmarried applicant with two adult children, whose eligibility was initially questioned under Guideline F, Financial Considerations. Disqualifying conditions were raised due to financial issues, specifically AG ¶ 19(a) and AG ¶ 19(c).

The judge ultimately granted the applicant eligibility for access to classified information, applying mitigating conditions AG ¶ 20(a), AG ¶ 20(b), AG ¶ 20(d), and AG ¶ 20(e). The decision highlighted the applicant's good-faith efforts to resolve her debts.

Crucially, the financial difficulties were largely attributed to circumstances beyond her control, primarily periods of unemployment. The judge concluded that these financial issues did not undermine the applicant's reliability or trustworthiness, leading to the favorable outcome.

Why the Applicant Prevailed

The applicant demonstrated a good-faith effort to resolve her debts.
Financial difficulties were largely due to circumstances beyond her control, such as unemployment.
The applicant's financial issues did not cast doubt on her reliability or trustworthiness.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 19(a)raisedInability to Satisfy Debts
AG ¶ 19(c)raisedHistory of Not Meeting Financial Obligations

Mitigating

AG ¶ 20(a)appliedBehavior Happened so Long Ago or Occurred Under Circumstances Unlikely to Recur
AG ¶ 20(b)appliedConditions That Resulted in Financial Problems Were Largely Beyond the Person's Control
AG ¶ 20(d)appliedIndividual Initiated and Is Adhering to a Good-faith Effort to Repay Overdue Creditors
AG ¶ 20(e)appliedIndividual Has a Reasonable Basis to Dispute the Legitimacy of the Past-due Debt

Key Rule Quoted

“The protection of the national security is the paramount consideration.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedSep 6, 2022
Answer filedSep 16, 2022
Hearing heldJan 18, 2023
Decision dateFeb 28, 2023

Cite For

Mitigation of Financial Considerations Under Guideline F
Impact of Unemployment on Financial Obligations
Good-faith Efforts to Resolve Debts as a Mitigating Factor

Editorial summary generated for research. Not legal advice; not a prediction. Verify against the full decision before relying on any quoted language.

Full decision

The complete, official text — footnotes and signatures included — is in the original PDF.