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ISCR Case 19-03630 — CASE

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ISCR Case 19-03630

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

Case Profile
Decision Date3/25/2022
Statusgranted
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Noreen A. Lynch
Government Counsel: Brittany C. M. White
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 34-year-old individual who served in the U.S. Air Force and was currently a police officer seeking a security clearance. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Guideline F (Financial Considerations), alleging eight delinquent debts totaling $121,381, which included a mortgage, commercial accounts, and medical debts. The applicant admitted to some debts while denying others, attributing his financial difficulties primarily to the impact of his divorce.
The administrative judge found that the applicant had made significant progress in addressing his financial issues. He admitted to several debts but provided evidence of payments and settlements for many of them. Notably, he resolved a mortgage issue through a short sale and had been making regular payments on a charged-off credit account since 2018. The applicant also demonstrated that he had received financial counseling and was actively working to manage his debts, which he attributed to circumstances beyond his control, such as his divorce and transition to civilian life.
Ultimately, the administrative judge ruled in favor of the applicant, concluding that he had sufficiently mitigated the financial concerns raised in the SOR. The judge noted the applicant's proactive steps to resolve his debts and his overall responsible behavior, which indicated a likelihood that the financial issues would not recur, thus supporting his eligibility for access to classified information.
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.
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 19-03630

grantedMar 25, 2022· Hon. Noreen A. Lynch· hearing

Summary

A 34-year-old former U.S. Air Force member and current police officer was granted a security clearance despite allegations under Guideline F (Financial Considerations). The Statement of Reasons cited eight delinquent debts totaling $121,381, including a mortgage, commercial accounts, credit union loans, and various other accounts. Specific allegations included a $58,320 charged-off credit account, on which the applicant had made monthly payments since 2018, and a $10,021 charged-off account that the applicant admitted but provided no further information.

Other debts included a $3,182 cell phone account, which the applicant denied as belonging to his wife, and a $1,893 credit card account that was settled for $780. The applicant also denied a $649 medical account and an $11,245 charged-off account, while admitting a $240 insurance collection account. Disqualifying conditions under Guideline F were raised, but mitigating conditions were applied.

The decision to grant the clearance was based on the applicant's demonstrated good-faith efforts to resolve his debts, including engaging in financial counseling and adhering to a budget plan. The judge found that the applicant's financial difficulties were largely due to circumstances beyond his control, specifically his divorce.

Why the Applicant Prevailed

The applicant demonstrated a good-faith effort to repay overdue creditors and resolve debts.
He received financial counseling and adhered to a budget plan.
The applicant's financial issues were largely attributed to circumstances beyond his control, specifically his divorce.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

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

Mitigating

AG ¶ 20(a)appliedBehavior Happened Long Ago or Infrequently
AG ¶ 20(b)appliedConditions Largely Beyond the Person's Control
AG ¶ 20(c)appliedReceived Financial Counseling
AG ¶ 20(d)appliedInitiated Good-faith Effort to Repay Debts

Key Rule Quoted

“The protection of the national security is the paramount consideration.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedFeb 24, 2020
Answer filed—
Hearing held—Applicant elected to have the case decided on the written record.
Decision dateMar 25, 2022

Cite For

Mitigation of Financial Concerns Under Guideline F Due to Personal Circumstances
Importance of Financial Counseling in Resolving Debts
Consideration of the Whole-person Concept in Security Clearance Decisions

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: granted

The judge found that the applicant's financial issues, primarily stemming from a divorce, were mitigated by his efforts to resolve debts and improve his financial situation. All allegations under Guideline F were ruled in favor of the applicant, indicating that the financial concerns did not pose a security risk.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	SOR alleges that Applicant has eight delinquent debts totaling $121,381, including a mortgage, commercial accounts, cell account, credit union loans, insurance, and a medical account. $121,381	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Unknown	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	—
1.b	A charged-off account in the amount of $58,320 to a credit account, Applicant’s 2021 credit bureau shows that he has been paying monthly since 2018 and the most recent payment was August 2021. $58,320	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Unknown	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	—
1.c	A charged-off account in the amount of $10,021, Applicant admitted the debt and provided no information. $10,021	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	—
1.d	A cell phone account in the amount of $3,182, Applicant denied the debt because it was his wife’s phone. $3,182	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Denied	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	—
1.e	A credit card account charged-off for $1,893, Applicant settled the account for $780 and the document shows the debt is covered. $1,893	For Applicant	Credit Card Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.f	The SOR alleged that Applicant is indebted for a medical account in the amount of $649. He denies this allegation, but provided no information. $649	For Applicant	Medical Debt	Denied	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	—
1.g	The SOR alleged that Applicant was indebted for a collection account in the approximate amount of $240 to an insurance company. He admitted the debt and provided no information. $240	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.h	The SOR alleges that Applicant has a charged-off account in the approximate amount of $11,245. He denied this allegation in his answer to the SOR. $11,245	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Denied	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	—

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

Full decision

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