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ISCR Case 20-03772 — CASE

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ISCR Case 20-03772

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

Case Profile
Decision Date8/18/2021
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Related decisionSee the appeal decision (Case 20-03772) →
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Noreen A. Lynch
Government Counsel: Nicholas T. Temple
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 35-year-old single individual with no children, who had recently completed a master's degree in 2016 and was seeking a security clearance sponsored by a defense contractor. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Guideline F (Financial Considerations), specifically alleging that the applicant had significant debts, including a collection account with the Department of Education totaling $73,991 and a cable company debt of approximately $2,807.
The applicant admitted to the debts outlined in the SOR and attributed them to his unemployment and temporary jobs. He acknowledged his financial irresponsibility, particularly regarding his student loans, and indicated that he had made a payment arrangement to address the student loans. The applicant provided evidence of a repayment agreement and claimed to have made a $5 monthly payment to rehabilitate his loans. However, he lacked documentation to support some of his claims. The administrative judge found that the applicant's financial issues raised disqualifying conditions under the guidelines, and while he had taken some steps to address his debts, the judge concluded that the applicant had not demonstrated sufficient evidence of a good-faith effort to resolve his financial problems. Consequently, the judge denied the applicant's eligibility for a security clearance, emphasizing the importance of financial responsibility in maintaining trustworthiness for access to classified information.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 20-03772

deniedAug 18, 2021· Hon. Noreen A. Lynch· hearing

Summary

A 35-year-old single male, without prior security clearance, was denied a U.S. DOHA security clearance under Guideline F (Financial Considerations). The denial stemmed from significant outstanding debts totaling approximately $78,807. This included a $73,991 student loan owed to the Department of Education and an approximate $2,807 debt to a cable company, both in collection.

The administrative judge identified disqualifying conditions under Adjudicative Guideline paragraphs 19(b) and 19(c). The applicant admitted to the substantial debts and acknowledged a history of financial irresponsibility.

Ultimately, the clearance was denied because the applicant failed to provide sufficient evidence of consistent efforts to resolve his financial issues before receiving the Statement of Reasons. While some recent actions were taken to address the debts, these were deemed insufficient to mitigate the security concerns, leading to the denial.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant admitted to significant debts and acknowledged a history of financial irresponsibility.
The applicant did not provide sufficient evidence of consistent efforts to resolve his financial issues prior to receiving the Statement of Reasons (SOR).
The applicant's recent actions to address his debts were deemed insufficient to mitigate the security concerns.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 19(b)raisedUnwillingness to Satisfy Debts Regardless of the Ability to Do So
AG ¶ 19(c)raisedA History of Not Meeting Financial Obligations

Key Rule Quoted

“Failure to live within one's means, satisfy debts, and meet financial obligations may indicate poor self-control, lack of judgment, or unwillingness to abide by rules and regulations, all of which can raise questions about an individual's reliability, trustworthiness, and ability to protect classified or sensitive information.”
— AG ¶ 18

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedFeb 2, 2021
Answer filed—
Hearing heldJul 20, 2021
Decision dateAug 18, 2021

Cite For

Denial of Security Clearance Due to Financial Irresponsibility Under Guideline F
Insufficient Evidence of Financial Rehabilitation Efforts
Impact of Financial Obligations on Security Clearance 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 F · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: HearingDecided: denied

The judge found that the applicant has significant financial concerns, including a large student loan debt and a collection account with a cable company. Despite the applicant's admissions and attempts to address these debts, the judge concluded that the applicant did not mitigate the security concerns, resulting in a denial of the security clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant is indebted to the Department of Education for a collection account in the amount of $73,991. $73,991	Against Applicant	Student Loan Debt	Admitted	(b) unwillingness to satisfy debts regardless of ability (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	Claimed Acknowledgment and Remorse Claimed Financial Counseling
1.b	Applicant is indebted to a cable company in collection for approximately $2,807. $2,807	Against Applicant	Utility or Phone Debt	Admitted	(b) unwillingness to satisfy debts regardless of ability (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	Documented Debt Paid in Full

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.