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ISCR Case 20-02900 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 20-02900

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

Case Profile
Decision Date5/2/2023
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Robert E. Coacher
Government Counsel: Michelle P. Tilford
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 33-year-old former employee of a federal contractor, who had served in the U.S. Navy from 2008 to 2013. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Guideline F, related to financial considerations. The SOR detailed eight delinquent accounts totaling approximately $41,927, including repossessed cars and consumer debts. The applicant admitted to some allegations but denied others, attributing his financial issues to a lack of financial sophistication and periods of unemployment.
The administrative judge found that the applicant had a history of financial difficulties dating back to 2012, with three significant debts remaining unpaid. Although the applicant had made some payments on smaller debts, he failed to address the larger debts, which were unresolved at the time of the hearing. The judge noted that while the applicant's unemployment and underemployment were beyond his control, his earlier financial decisions indicated a lack of responsibility. Ultimately, the judge ruled that the applicant had not mitigated the financial considerations security concerns, leading to a denial of eligibility for access to classified information.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 20-02900

deniedMay 2, 2023· Hon. Robert E. Coacher· hearing

Summary

A 33-year-old former aircraft servicer and U.S. Navy veteran was denied a security clearance under Guideline F, Financial Considerations, due to unresolved financial issues totaling approximately $41,927. The Statement of Reasons detailed several debts, including an unresolved credit card debt of $3,498 and two unresolved automobile loans for repossessed cars, totaling $24,057 and $9,754 respectively.

While the applicant resolved some financial obligations, such as a delinquent payday loan of $676, a rental car debt of $708, two debts to the VA totaling $1,062 and $1,061, and a delinquent consumer debt of $1,109, significant amounts remained unpaid.

The denial was based on the applicant's failure to mitigate concerns regarding ongoing financial obligations and to demonstrate a meaningful track record of debt management or financial responsibility. These unresolved financial issues raised questions about the applicant's reliability and trustworthiness, leading to the denial of the security clearance.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant has unresolved debts totaling approximately $41,927, including significant amounts that remain unpaid.
The applicant failed to demonstrate a meaningful track record of debt management or financial responsibility.
The applicant's financial issues raised questions about reliability and trustworthiness.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

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

Mitigating

AG ¶ 20(a)rejectedBehavior Happened so Long Ago, Was Infrequent, or Unlikely to RecurThe applicant's debts are recent and ongoing.
AG ¶ 20(b)rejectedConditions Beyond the Person's ControlWhile some circumstances were beyond the applicant's control, he also admitted to using credit unwisely.
AG ¶ 20(c)rejectedReceived Financial CounselingThe applicant's financial counseling was insufficient to demonstrate control over his debts.
AG ¶ 20(d)appliedGood-faith Effort to Repay DebtsThe applicant resolved some debts, but this was insufficient given the overall debt situation.

Key Rule Quoted

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

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedJul 9, 2021
Answer filedAug 10, 2021
Hearing heldDec 20, 2022via video teleconferencing
Decision dateMay 2, 2023

Cite For

Denial of Security Clearance Due to Unresolved Financial Obligations Under Guideline F
Impact of Financial Irresponsibility on Trustworthiness and Reliability
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: HearingDecided: denied

The judge found multiple financial concerns under Guideline F, including unresolved credit card and auto loan debts, as well as resolved payday and rental car debts. Ultimately, the judge ruled against the applicant on the unresolved debts, concluding that the applicant had not mitigated the financial considerations security concerns.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant has a credit-card debt to a credit union totaling $3,498, which is unresolved. $3,498	Against Applicant	Credit Card Debt	Unknown	—	—	—
1.b	Applicant has an automobile loan for a repossessed car totaling $24,057, which is unresolved. $24,057	Against Applicant	Auto Loan Debt	Unknown	—	—	—
1.c	Applicant has a delinquent payday loan totaling $676, which has been resolved. $676	For Applicant	Financial Fraud or Check Kiting	Unknown	—	—	—
1.d	Applicant has a delinquent debt for a rental car totaling $708, which has been resolved. $708	For Applicant	Financial Fraud or Check Kiting	Unknown	—	—	—
1.e	Applicant incurred debts to the VA totaling $1,062 and $1,061, which have been resolved.	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Unknown	—	—	—
1.g	Applicant has a delinquent consumer debt totaling $1,109, which has been resolved. $1,109	For Applicant	Financial Fraud or Check Kiting	Unknown	—	—	—
1.h	Applicant has an automobile loan for a repossessed car totaling $9,754, which is unresolved. $9,754	Against Applicant	Auto Loan Debt	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.