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ISCR Case 19-00349 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 19-00349

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

Case Profile
Decision Date7/2/2019
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Elizabeth M. Matchinski
Government Counsel: Michelle P. Tilford
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 53-year-old individual seeking a security clearance, facing allegations under Guideline F, which pertains to financial considerations. The Statement of Reasons (SOR) indicated that the applicant had accumulated significant medical debts totaling $9,215 across 14 accounts, a $392 telecommunications debt, and a charged-off automobile loan of $2,067. The applicant admitted to most of the debts, attributing them to medical expenses incurred during periods of inadequate insurance coverage.
The administrative judge found that the applicant had a history of financial irresponsibility, including several medical bills going to collection since 2012 and a charged-off automobile loan from 2012 that remained unpaid. Although the applicant claimed to be making efforts to resolve his debts, including timely payments on new car loans, the judge noted that these actions did not sufficiently mitigate the concerns raised by the unresolved debts. The applicant's assertion that he would not compromise national security for his debts was also considered but did not outweigh the financial issues.
Ultimately, the administrative judge ruled to deny the applicant's request for a security clearance, concluding that the applicant had not demonstrated sufficient financial responsibility or progress in addressing his delinquent debts, which posed a potential risk to national security. The decision emphasized the importance of financial stability in determining eligibility for access to classified information.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
Similar decisions
Other decisions whose allegations read most like this one. Descriptive similarity of the allegations only — not a prediction.
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 19-00349

deniedJul 2, 2019· Hon. Elizabeth M. Matchinski· hearing

Summary

A 53-year-old high school graduate was denied a security clearance under Guideline F (Financial Considerations) due to significant unresolved debts. The Statement of Reasons detailed 14 medical collection accounts totaling $9,215, a $392 telephone debt in collection (which the applicant disputed as erroneous), and a $2,067 charged-off car loan. These issues raised concerns under Disqualifying Conditions AG ¶ 19(a) and AG ¶ 19(c).

While Mitigating Conditions AG ¶ 20(b), AG ¶ 20(d), and AG ¶ 20(e) were considered, they were not sufficient to overcome the concerns. The denial was based on the applicant's failure to resolve the substantial medical debts and the charged-off car loan.

The judge also questioned the applicant's financial judgment, noting the acquisition of new car loans despite existing unpaid debts. Ultimately, the applicant did not provide adequate evidence of a concrete plan to resolve the outstanding debts or demonstrate consistent responsible financial behavior, leading to the denial of the security clearance.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant had significant medical debts totaling $9,215 and a charged-off car loan of $2,067, which he failed to resolve.
The applicant's financial judgment was questioned due to taking on new car loans while having unpaid debts.
The applicant did not provide sufficient evidence of a plan to resolve his debts or demonstrate responsible financial behavior.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

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

Mitigating

AG ¶ 20(b)rejectedConditions Largely Beyond the Person's ControlWhile some debts were medical, the applicant did not act responsibly in addressing them.
AG ¶ 20(d)rejectedGood-faith Effort to Repay Overdue CreditorsThe applicant's evidence of repayment efforts was insufficient and did not demonstrate a plan to resolve debts.
AG ¶ 20(e)rejectedReasonable Basis to Dispute Legitimacy of Past-due DebtThe applicant did not provide documentation to support his dispute of the telephone debt.

Key Rule Quoted

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

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedMar 19, 2019
Answer filedMar 21, 2019Requested a decision based on the written record.
Hearing held—
Decision dateJul 2, 2019

Cite For

Financial Judgment Concerns Under Guideline F
Impact of Unresolved Debts on Security Clearance Eligibility
Importance of Demonstrating a Plan to Resolve Financial Issues

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

Standardized Decision Profile

SEAD-4 Guideline F · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: Decision on RecordDecided: denied

The judge found that the applicant had significant financial issues, including medical collection debts totaling $9,215, a telephone debt in collection for $392, and a charged-off debt for $2,067 from a car loan. The applicant's claims of mitigating circumstances were not sufficient to overcome the financial concerns, leading to a decision against the applicant.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant owed medical collection debt totaling $9,215 on 14 accounts; a telephone debt in collection for $392; and a charged-off debt for $2,067. $9,215	Against Applicant	Medical Debt	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	Claimed Acknowledgment and Remorse
1.o	Applicant denied the telephone debt in collection for $392, claiming it was reported erroneously. $392	Against Applicant	Utility or Phone Debt	Denied	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	Claimed Acknowledgment and Remorse
1.p	Applicant had a charged-off debt for $2,067 from a car loan. $2,067	Against Applicant	Auto Loan Debt	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	Claimed Acknowledgment and Remorse

Descriptive standardized rendering of a decided public case (Guideline F). The verbatim source decision is shown in full below.

Full decision

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