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ISCR Case 20-01819 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 20-01819

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

Case Profile
Decision Date3/9/2023
Statusgranted
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Stephanie C. Hess
Government Counsel: Bryan J. Olmos
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 52-year-old logistics planner employed by a federal contractor, who had previously served in the Army and was seeking a security clearance. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Guideline F (Financial Considerations), alleging 22 delinquent accounts totaling $56,564. The applicant admitted to the debts but claimed they were due to circumstances beyond her control, including financial strain from her husband's lack of support after returning from deployment.
The administrative judge found that the applicant had taken significant steps to address her financial issues, including entering repayment agreements with creditors and attending credit counseling sessions. She provided evidence of resolving most of her debts through repayment or cancellation, and her current financial situation showed improvement, with no recent delinquent accounts. The judge noted the applicant's credibility during testimony and the positive assessments from coworkers regarding her reliability and trustworthiness.
Ultimately, the administrative judge ruled in favor of the applicant, granting her eligibility for access to classified information. The decision was based on the conclusion that her past financial difficulties were unlikely to recur and did not undermine her current reliability, trustworthiness, or judgment.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · For Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 20-01819

grantedMar 9, 2023· Hon. Stephanie C. Hess· hearing

Summary

This case concerns a 52-year-old logistics planner and retired Army veteran whose security clearance was granted despite initial concerns under Guideline F, Financial Considerations. The Statement of Reasons (SOR) alleged 22 delinquent credit card accounts totaling $56,564, raising disqualifying conditions related to financial irresponsibility.

However, the applicant successfully mitigated these concerns. She demonstrated that her financial difficulties were largely due to circumstances beyond her control, specifically a duplicate pay issue and her husband's withdrawal of financial support, making recurrence unlikely.

Crucially, the applicant resolved or is actively resolving the majority of her delinquent accounts. She also demonstrated responsible financial behavior by maintaining current obligations and adhering to a budget. Based on these mitigating factors, her security clearance was granted.

Why the Applicant Prevailed

The applicant resolved or is currently resolving the majority of her delinquent accounts.
She demonstrated responsible financial behavior by maintaining current obligations and adhering to a budget.
The financial difficulties were largely beyond her control and unlikely to recur.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

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

Mitigating

AG ¶ 20(a)appliedBehavior Unlikely to Recur
AG ¶ 20(b)appliedConditions Largely Beyond Control
AG ¶ 20(c)appliedReceived Financial Counseling
AG ¶ 20(d)appliedGood-faith Effort to Repay Debts

Key Rule Quoted

“A security clearance adjudication is an evaluation of a person’s judgment, reliability, and trustworthiness. It is not a debt-collection procedure.”
— ISCR Case No. 09-02160 (App. Bd. Jun. 21, 2010)

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedMay 12, 2021
Answer filed—
Hearing heldOct 13, 2022via Microsoft Teams
Decision dateMar 9, 2023

Cite For

Mitigation of Financial Issues Under Guideline F
Evaluation of Circumstances Beyond Control Affecting Financial Stability
Importance of Demonstrating Good-faith Efforts in Resolving Debts

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 had 22 delinquent credit card accounts totaling $56,564. However, the applicant demonstrated that she had resolved these debts through repayment plans and 1099-Cs, leading to a decision in her favor regarding financial considerations under Guideline F.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	The SOR alleges 22 delinquent accounts totaling $56,564. The debts are comprised of delinquent credit-card accounts. $56,564	For Applicant	Credit Card Debt	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	(a) behavior happened long ago / infrequent / unlikely to recur (b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly (c) received/receiving counseling; problem being resolved	Documented Debt Paid in Full Documented Financial Counseling 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.