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ISCR Case 21-02027 — CASE

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ISCR Case 21-02027

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

Case Profile
Decision Date8/24/2022
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Noreen A. Lynch
Government Counsel: Adrienne M. Driskill
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 49-year-old former U.S. Navy service member who sought a security clearance after retiring in 2021. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Adjudicative Guideline F (financial considerations), specifically alleging six delinquent debts totaling approximately $31,203. The applicant admitted to the allegations but did not provide any explanations or documentation to mitigate the concerns.
The administrative judge found that the applicant admitted to the debts and acknowledged his responsibility for them. However, he failed to demonstrate any meaningful efforts to resolve these financial issues, such as providing evidence of payments or financial counseling. The applicant indicated intentions to pay his debts and mentioned that he was receiving a military pension, but he did not substantiate these claims with documentation. The judge noted that promises to pay in the future were insufficient for mitigation, and the applicant's financial irresponsibility raised concerns about his reliability and trustworthiness.
Ultimately, the administrative judge ruled against the applicant, denying eligibility for access to classified information. The decision was based on the applicant's failure to meet the burden of proof required to mitigate the financial concerns, as well as the overarching principle that any doubts regarding security clearance eligibility must be resolved in favor of national security.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 21-02027

deniedAug 24, 2022· Hon. Noreen A. Lynch· hearing

Summary

A 49-year-old Navy veteran was denied a security clearance under Guideline F (Financial Considerations) due to six unresolved delinquent debts totaling approximately $31,203. The Statement of Reasons detailed these financial obligations, including a collection account for $642, for which the applicant provided a written agreement outlining payment terms.

Other debts included a $16,829 charged-off credit union account, on which payments ceased in March 2020 due to high interest rates. A $6,542 charged-off account resulted from a vehicle repossession after the applicant co-signed for his daughter's car. Additionally, there was a $3,965 charged-off furniture bill and a $2,627 charged-off account that the applicant admitted was unresolved, though he intended to pursue a Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) claim.

The denial was based on the applicant's failure to provide sufficient documentation to meet his burden of proof regarding these financial obligations. Despite admitting to the debts, he did not present evidence of efforts to resolve them, and future promises to pay were deemed inadequate for mitigation.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant did not provide documentation to meet his burden of proof regarding financial obligations.
He admitted to six delinquent debts totaling approximately $31,203 without evidence of efforts to resolve them.
Promises to pay in the future were deemed insufficient for mitigation.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

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

Key Rule Quoted

“Eligibility for access to classified information is denied.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedDec 16, 2021
Answer filed—Applicant elected to have his case decided on the written record.
Hearing held—Decision based on documentary evidence.
Decision dateAug 24, 2022

Cite For

Failure to Provide Evidence of Financial Responsibility Under Guideline F
Insufficient Mitigation of Financial Concerns
Burden of Proof in Security Clearance Cases

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: denied

The judge found against the applicant on all allegations related to financial considerations, citing a total of six delinquent debts amounting to approximately $31,203. The applicant admitted to the debts but failed to provide sufficient mitigation to alleviate the security concerns raised under Guideline F.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant has six delinquent debts totaling approximately $31,203. $31,203	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	—
1.b	A collection account in the amount of $642, Applicant submitted a communication that is a written agreement with terms for the debt. $642	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	—
1.c	A charged-off account to a credit union in the amount of $16,829, Applicant made payments on the credit card until March 2020, but he stopped due to high interest rate. $16,829	Against Applicant	Credit Card Debt	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	—
1.d	A charged-off account in the amount of $6,542, it is a vehicle repossession after he co-signed for a car note for his daughter. $6,542	Against Applicant	Auto Loan Debt	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	—
1.e	A charged-off account in the amount of $3,965, Applicant stated that this is a furniture bill. $3,965	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	Claimed Debt Paid in Full
1.f	A charged-off account in the amount of $2,627, Applicant admits it is not resolved, but he intends to make an SCRA claim account as he was in the military at the time. $2,627	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	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.