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ISCR Case 19-03481 — CASE

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ISCR Case 19-03481

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

Case Profile
Decision Date6/10/2021
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Elizabeth M. Matchinski
Government Counsel: Moira Modzelewski
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 54-year-old truck driver employed by a defense contractor, who faced security clearance issues primarily under Guideline F, concerning financial considerations. The Statement of Reasons (SOR) indicated that he owed approximately $29,533 in past-due debts, which included multiple delinquent accounts and a charged-off debt. The applicant attributed his financial difficulties to a significant reduction in income following a relocation to care for his father, as well as personal issues related to his ex-wife's gambling problem.
In his response to the SOR, the applicant admitted to the debts but claimed he was making monthly payments until financial strains worsened due to his ex-wife's actions. He provided explanations for his financial situation, including a lack of corroborating documentation for any payments he claimed to have made. The administrative judge noted that the applicant had not sufficiently mitigated the financial concerns raised in the SOR and had made minimal progress in addressing his debts.
Ultimately, the administrative judge ruled to deny the applicant's security clearance eligibility. The decision was based on the applicant's substantial outstanding debts, his limited efforts to resolve them, and the overall assessment that granting clearance would not be consistent with the national interest. The judge emphasized the importance of financial responsibility in the context of national security.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 19-03481

deniedJun 10, 2021· Hon. Elizabeth M. Matchinski· hearing

Summary

A 54-year-old truck driver was denied a security clearance under Guideline F, Financial Considerations, due to approximately $29,533 in past-due debts. The Statement of Reasons specifically cited the outstanding debt and the applicant's minimal progress in addressing it. Disqualifying conditions under AG ¶ 19(a), (b), and (c) were raised.

The applicant acknowledged his financial difficulties, attributing them to a significant income reduction, and sought assistance from a debt consolidation company. However, despite these efforts, he made minimal progress in resolving his debts.

While mitigating condition AG ¶ 20(b) was applied, the clearance was ultimately denied. The decision highlighted the substantial amount of past-due debt, the lack of significant progress in addressing it, and the absence of documented efforts to resolve the financial obligations, which collectively raised concerns about the applicant's financial management and reliability.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant owes approximately $29,533 in past-due debts.
He made minimal progress in addressing these debts despite acknowledging them.
There was a lack of documented efforts to resolve the debts, raising concerns about his financial management.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 19(a)appliedInability to Satisfy Debts
AG ¶ 19(b)appliedUnwillingness to Satisfy Debts Regardless of the Ability to Do So
AG ¶ 19(c)appliedA History of Not Meeting Financial Obligations

Mitigating

AG ¶ 20(b)appliedConditions That Resulted in the Financial Problem Were Largely Beyond the Person’s Control

Key Rule Quoted

“A security clearance adjudication is not a proceeding aimed at collecting an applicant’s personal debts.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedFeb 6, 2020
Answer filedDec 18, 2020Requested decision on the written record.
Hearing held—Decision made on the written record.
Decision dateJun 10, 2021

Cite For

Financial Management Concerns Under Guideline F
Impact of Unresolved Debts on Security Clearance Eligibility
Consideration of Mitigating Circumstances Related to Financial Difficulties

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 owed approximately $29,533 in past-due debts, which raised significant security concerns under Guideline F. Despite the applicant's claims of making payments and seeking debt consolidation, the judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that the financial issues were not sufficiently mitigated.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant owes approximately $29,533 in past-due debts. $29,533	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts	—	—
1.b	Applicant has made minimal progress addressing his past-due debts.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts	—	—
1.c–1.d	2 sub-charges — specific text not stated in this decision (against the applicant). (low confidence)	Against Applicant			—	—	—

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.