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ISCR Case 20-01949 — CASE

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ISCR Case 20-01949

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

Case Profile
Decision Date10/25/2021
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Noreen A. Lynch
Government Counsel: Erin P. Thompson
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 34-year-old service desk analyst with a history of financial difficulties and personal conduct issues, as outlined under Guideline F (Financial Considerations) and Guideline E (Personal Conduct). The Statement of Reasons (SOR) alleged that the applicant had approximately $26,583 in delinquent debts across 16 accounts, failed to file federal and state tax returns for multiple years, and falsified information on security clearance applications regarding his financial status and a domestic violence order.
During the proceedings, the applicant admitted to most of the allegations, including the failure to file tax returns and the existence of delinquent debts. He claimed that his financial troubles stemmed from a back injury in 2013, which led to unemployment. However, he did not provide evidence of any payments made towards his debts or any formal payment plans initiated. The applicant acknowledged that he had not filed the required tax returns and admitted to falsifying information on his security clearance applications.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that the evidence presented established disqualifying conditions under the relevant guidelines. The judge noted the applicant's lack of financial responsibility and failure to demonstrate a commitment to resolving his debts, which raised significant concerns about his reliability and trustworthiness in handling classified information. The decision ultimately denied the applicant eligibility for access to classified information, emphasizing the paramount importance of national security.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline EPersonal Conduct · Against Applicant
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 20-01949

deniedOct 25, 2021· Hon. Noreen A. Lynch· hearing

Summary

A 34-year-old service desk analyst with six minor children was denied a security clearance due to concerns under Guideline E (Personal Conduct) and Guideline F (Financial Considerations). The applicant admitted to significant financial issues, including approximately $26,583 in delinquent debts across 16 accounts. He also failed to file federal and state tax returns for multiple years, specifically 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Additionally, the applicant was found to have intentionally falsified material facts on security clearance questionnaires. These misrepresentations concerned his failure to file or pay federal and state taxes, as well as the existence of a domestic order entered against him on February 23, 2018.

The administrative judge denied the applicant's eligibility for access to classified information, citing both the unresolved financial issues and a lack of candor demonstrated through the falsified information on the questionnaires.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant admitted to having approximately $26,583 in delinquent debts across multiple accounts.
He failed to file federal and state tax returns for the years 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
The applicant intentionally falsified information on security clearance questionnaires regarding his financial obligations and a domestic violence order.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 19(a)appliedInability to Satisfy Debts
AG ¶ 19(c)appliedA History of Not Meeting Financial Obligations
AG ¶ 19(f)appliedFailure to File or Pay Annual Federal, State, or Local Income Tax as Required
AG ¶ 16(a)appliedDeliberate Omission, Concealment, or Falsification of Relevant Facts

Key Rule Quoted

“Any doubt concerning personnel being considered for national security eligibility will be resolved in favor of the national security.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedDec 14, 2020
Answer filed—
Hearing heldOct 14, 2021Hearing convened as scheduled.
Decision dateOct 25, 2021

Cite For

Denial Based on Unresolved Financial Issues Under Guideline F
Lack of Candor and Falsification Under Guideline E
Impact of Financial Irresponsibility on National Security Eligibility

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 E (Personal Conduct) · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: HearingDecided: denied

The judge found against the applicant on all allegations under Guideline E, which included a domestic order and falsification of material facts on security questionnaires regarding tax obligations. The applicant admitted to the domestic order and acknowledged the falsifications, which were deemed not mitigated by any circumstances.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Conduct	Concealed Issue	Response	Disqualifying (¶16)	Mitigating applied (¶17)	Mitigation
2.a	A domestic order was entered against Applicant on February 23, 2018.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Personal Conduct	—	Admitted	—	—	—
2.c	Falsified material facts on an SF85-P questionnaire regarding failure to file or pay federal, state, or other taxes.	Against Applicant	Falsification Security FormFOUND DELIBERATE	Other	Denied	(b) deliberately providing false information to an investigator or official	—	—
2.d	Falsified material facts on a questionnaire regarding failure to file or pay federal, state, or other taxes.	Against Applicant	Falsification Security FormFOUND DELIBERATE	Other	Denied	(b) deliberately providing false information to an investigator or official	—	—

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

Standardized Decision Profile

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

Posture: HearingDecided: denied

The judge found multiple financial concerns against the applicant, including delinquent debts totaling approximately $26,583 across various accounts and failures to file federal and state tax returns for several years. The applicant's claims of financial hardship and attempts to address the debts were not sufficient to mitigate the security concerns, leading to a denial of the security clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant has delinquent debt in the approximate amount of $26,583 in 16 delinquent accounts. $26,583	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	—
1.s	Failure to file federal tax returns for the years 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.	Against Applicant	Tax Filing Failure	Admitted	(f) failure to file / fraudulent filing of tax returns or unpaid tax	—	—
1.t	Failure to file state tax returns for tax years 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.	Against Applicant	Tax Filing Failure	Admitted	(f) failure to file / fraudulent filing of tax returns or unpaid tax	—	—

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.