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ISCR Case 20-03272 — CASE

ISCR Case 20-03272granted

Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 20-03272

grantedSep 21, 2021· Hon. Robert E. Coacher· hearing

Summary

This case concerns an applicant who sought security clearance under Guideline F, Financial Considerations, representing himself. The applicant's clearance was ultimately granted.

The decision to grant clearance was based on several mitigating conditions. The applicant demonstrated significant progress in addressing the debts listed in the Statement of Reasons. It was also determined that many of these debts were incurred due to circumstances largely beyond his control.

Ultimately, the judge concluded that the applicant's financial issues did not affect his reliability or trustworthiness, leading to a favorable outcome and the granting of his security clearance.

Why the Applicant Prevailed

The applicant made significant progress in addressing debts listed in the SOR.
Many debts were incurred due to circumstances beyond his control.
The judge concluded that the applicant's financial issues do not affect his reliability or trustworthiness.

Conditions Referenced

Mitigating

20(a)appliedThe Behavior Was Not Recent.
20(b)appliedThe Conditions That Resulted in the Financial Problems Were Beyond the Applicant's Control.
20(c)appliedThe Applicant Has Received Financial Counseling.
20(d)appliedThe Applicant Has a Good Track Record of Paying Debts.
20(e)appliedThe Applicant Has Made Significant Progress in Resolving Debts.

Key Rule Quoted

“I also gave due consideration to the whole-person concept.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedDec 16, 2020
Answer filedJan 13, 2021
Hearing heldAug 24, 2021
Decision dateSep 21, 2021

Cite For

Significant Progress in Addressing Financial Debts Under Guideline F
Mitigating Conditions Applicable to Financial Issues
Whole-person Concept in Security Clearance Determinations

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 applicant's financial issues did not raise doubts about his reliability and trustworthiness. The applicant demonstrated significant progress in addressing his debts, leading to a decision in his favor regarding access to classified information.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a–1.d	4 sub-charges — specific text not stated in this decision (for the applicant).	For 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.

Decision text, by section

DEFENSE OFFICE OF HEARINGS AND APPEALS

HEARING

______________ ______________ DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DEFENSE OFFICE OF HEARINGS AND APPEALS In the matter of: ) ) ) ISCR Case No. 20-03272 ) Applicant for Security Clearance ) Appearances For Government: Tara Karoian, Esq., Department Counsel For Applicant: Pro se 09/21/2021 Decision COACHER, Robert E., Administrative Judge: On December 16, 2020, the Department of Defense (DOD) issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) to Applicant detailing security concerns under Guideline F, financial considerations. The action was taken under Executive Order (EO) 10865, Safeguarding Classified Information within Industry (February 20, 1960), as amended; DOD Directive 5220.6, Defense Industrial Personnel Security Clearance Review Program (January 2, 1992), as amended (Directive); and the adjudicative guidelines implemented by DOD on June 8, 2017 (AG). Applicant responded to the SOR on January 13, 2021, and requested a hearing before an administrative judge. The case was assigned to me on July 13, 2021. The hearing was held as scheduled on August 24, 2021. On August 25, 2021, I proposed that this case was appropriate for a summary disposition in Applicant’s favor. Department Counsel did not object. This case involves financial concerns under Guideline F. Based upon his testimony and the documents submitted, Applicant has made significant progress toward paying the SOR-listed debts, many of which were incurred because of conditions

________________________ beyond his control. The evidence established that mitigating conditions 20(a)-20(e) substantially apply, thereby mitigating the Guideline F concerns. The concerns over Applicant’s history of financial problems do not create doubts about his current reliability, trustworthiness, good judgment, and ability to protect classified information. In reaching this conclusion, I weighed the evidence as a whole and considered if the favorable evidence outweighed the unfavorable evidence. I also gave due consideration to the whole-person concept. Accordingly, I conclude that he met his ultimate burden of persuasion to show that it is clearly consistent with the national interest to grant him eligibility for access to classified information. This case is decided for Applicant. Robert E. Coacher Administrative Judge