CASE · Clearance Adjudication Search EngineCASE

Loading case…

ISCR Case 20-02802 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 20-02802

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

Case Profile
Decision Date2/28/2023
Statusgranted
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Candace Le'i Garcia
Government Counsel: William H. Miller
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 46-year-old individual who had worked for various Department of Defense contractors since 2007 and had been granted a security clearance in 2007. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Guideline F (financial considerations), which included allegations of a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filed in 2012 and eight delinquent consumer debts totaling $35,353. The applicant admitted to some debts while denying others, attributing her financial difficulties to personal circumstances, including a significant decrease in income and medical expenses.
The administrative judge found that the applicant had taken substantial steps to mitigate the financial concerns. She had resolved several debts, established payment plans for others, and received financial counseling. The judge noted that the applicant's financial issues were largely due to circumstances beyond her control, such as a loss of income and medical emergencies. The applicant's current financial situation showed improvement, with a monthly net remainder that allowed her to continue addressing her debts. Ultimately, the judge ruled in favor of the applicant, granting her eligibility for access to classified information, as her financial issues no longer cast doubt on her reliability and trustworthiness.
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.
Finding similar decisions…

Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 20-02802

grantedFeb 28, 2023· Hon. Candace Le'i Garcia· hearing

Summary

A 46-year-old unmarried woman with three adult children was granted a security clearance despite initial concerns under Guideline F (Financial Considerations). These concerns arose from a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filed in March 2012 and discharged in June 2012, along with eight delinquent consumer debts totaling $35,353.

The applicant demonstrated significant efforts to resolve her financial issues. In October 2020, she settled a $630 charged-off credit card debt for $531. By October 2022, she had paid a $609 credit card in collection, a $575 cable account in collection, and settled a $1,009 medical account for $750. Additionally, she established payment plans for a $1,087 credit card in collection and two other accounts in collection totaling $29,623.

The administrative judge found that the applicant took responsible actions, including payment plans and financial counseling, to manage her debts. Her financial situation was deemed under control, with no current delinquent debts, and the circumstances contributing to her difficulties were largely beyond her control. Consequently, her reliability and trustworthiness were not undermined, and the security clearance was granted.

Why the Applicant Prevailed

The applicant demonstrated responsible actions to resolve her financial issues, including payment plans and financial counseling.
Her financial situation was under control, with no current delinquent debts.
The circumstances leading to her financial difficulties were largely beyond her control.

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)appliedGood-faith Effort to Repay Debts

Key Rule Quoted

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

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedDec 1, 2021
Answer filedJan 10, 2022
Hearing heldNov 3, 2022record kept open until December 1, 2022
Decision dateFeb 28, 2023

Cite For

Mitigation of Financial Considerations Under Guideline F
Impact of Personal Circumstances on Financial Stability
Importance of Financial Counseling 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: HearingDecided: granted

The judge found that the applicant had a history of financial difficulties, including a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filed in 2012 and several delinquent debts. However, the applicant demonstrated a good-faith effort to resolve these debts, leading to a decision in favor of granting the security clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy in March 2012, and the bankruptcy was discharged in June 2012.	For Applicant	Bankruptcy Filing	Admitted	—	(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly	Documented Financial Counseling
1.b	Applicant had eight delinquent consumer debts totaling $35,353. $35,353	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Denied	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly	Claimed Budget Change with Documentation Documented Financial Counseling
1.c	Applicant resolved a $630 charged-off credit card debt in October 2020 with a payment of $531. $630	For Applicant	Credit Card Debt	Admitted	—	(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly	Documented Debt Paid in Full
1.d	Applicant paid a $609 credit card in collection in October 2022. $609	For Applicant	Credit Card Debt	Admitted	—	(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly	Documented Debt Paid in Full
1.e	Applicant reached a payment plan for a $1,087 credit card in collection in October 2022. $1,087	For Applicant	Credit Card Debt	Admitted	—	(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly	Documented Payment Plan with Creditor
1.f	Applicant negotiated payment plans for two accounts in collection totaling $29,623 in October 2022. $29,623	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly	Documented Payment Plan with Creditor
1.g	Applicant paid a $575 cable account in collection in October 2022. $575	For Applicant	Utility or Phone Debt	Admitted	—	(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly	Documented Debt Paid in Full
1.h	Applicant settled a $1,009 medical account in collection for $750 in October 2022. $1,009	For Applicant	Medical Debt	Admitted	—	(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly	Documented Debt Paid in Full
1.i	specific text not stated in this decision	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Unknown	—	—	—

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.