CASE · Clearance Adjudication Search EngineCASE

Loading case…

ISCR Case 20-01268 — CASE

DOHA Record Explorer

ISCR Case 20-01268

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

Case Profile
Decision Date5/3/2021
Statusgranted
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Noreen A. Lynch
Government Counsel: John C. Lynch
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 64-year-old analyst in the defense industry who sought to renew her security clearance after experiencing financial difficulties due to unemployment and unexpected expenses. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing concerns under the financial considerations guideline (Guideline F), alleging that the applicant had accrued approximately $48,070 in delinquent debts. The applicant admitted to some debts while denying others, explaining that her financial issues stemmed from a period of unemployment and efforts to manage her mortgage and other obligations.
The administrative judge found that the applicant had taken significant steps to address her financial problems, including working with creditors and a non-profit housing association to resolve her mortgage issues. The applicant demonstrated a commitment to repaying her debts and had made progress in establishing payment plans for her accounts. The judge noted that the applicant's financial difficulties were largely due to circumstances beyond her control and that she had shown responsible behavior in managing her finances.
Ultimately, the administrative judge ruled in favor of the applicant, granting her request for continued access to classified information. The judge concluded that the applicant's actions indicated a likelihood of financial stability moving forward, and her efforts to resolve her debts were viewed positively in the context of the whole-person concept.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · For Applicant
Similar decisions
Other decisions whose allegations read most like this one. Descriptive similarity of the allegations only — not a prediction.
Finding similar decisions…

Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 20-01268

grantedMay 3, 2021· Hon. Noreen A. Lynch· hearing

Summary

A 64-year-old defense industry analyst was granted a security clearance despite initial concerns under Guideline F (Financial Considerations). The Statement of Reasons cited five delinquent or past-due debts totaling $48,070. Specific allegations included a second mortgage account 180 days past due for approximately $2,262, a collection account for about $1,326, a charged-off account for roughly $773, and a 2019 judgment for approximately $1,704. These issues raised Disqualifying Conditions AG ¶ 19(a) and AG ¶ 19(c).

However, the judge applied Mitigating Conditions AG ¶ 20(b), AG ¶ 20(c), and AG ¶ 20(d). The applicant demonstrated responsible actions to resolve her debts, which were largely attributed to circumstances beyond her control, primarily unemployment and unexpected expenses.

The applicant made significant efforts to address her financial issues, including working with a non-profit housing association. Ultimately, the judge found that the applicant acted responsibly to resolve her debts and granted the security clearance.

Why the Applicant Prevailed

The applicant demonstrated responsible actions to resolve her debts.
Financial difficulties were largely due to circumstances beyond her control, such as unemployment.
The applicant has made significant efforts to address her financial issues, including working with a non-profit housing association.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

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

Mitigating

AG ¶ 20(b)appliedConditions Largely Beyond the Person's Control
AG ¶ 20(c)appliedReceiving Financial Counseling From a Legitimate Source
AG ¶ 20(d)appliedGood-faith Effort to Repay Overdue Creditors

Key Rule Quoted

“A security clearance decision is intended only to resolve whether it is clearly consistent with the national interest for an applicant to either receive or continue to have access to classified information.”
— Department of the Navy v. Egan, 484 U.S. 518 (1988)

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedSep 23, 2020
Answer filed—
Hearing heldMar 23, 2021
Decision dateMay 3, 2021

Cite For

Mitigating Conditions Under Guideline F for Financial Difficulties
Responsible Actions Taken to Resolve Debts
Impact of Circumstances Beyond Control on Financial Obligations

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: HearingDecided: granted

The judge found that the financial concerns raised under Guideline F were mitigated. The applicant admitted to several debts and provided explanations for her financial difficulties, which the judge accepted as credible and indicative of responsible behavior towards resolving her debts.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant owed $48,070 for 5 delinquent or past-due debts. $48,070	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	Claimed Other
1.b	Second mortgage account that is 180 days past due in the approximate amount of $2,262. $2,262	For Applicant	Mortgage or Home Loan Debt	Denied	—	—	Claimed Other
1.c	Collection account in the approximate amount of $1,326. $1,326	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	Claimed Other
1.d	Charged-off account in the approximate amount of $773. $773	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	Claimed Other
1.e	2019 judgment in the approximate amount of $1,704. $1,704	For Applicant	Judgment Against Applicant	Denied	—	—	Claimed Other

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.