CASE · Clearance Adjudication Search EngineCASE

Loading case…

ISCR Case 21-00005 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 21-00005

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

Case Profile
Decision Date5/9/2023
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Robert E. Coacher
Government Counsel: Jeff A. Nagel
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 37-year-old employee of a federal contractor who had previously served in the U.S. Air Force. The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Guideline F, related to financial considerations. The SOR detailed six delinquent accounts totaling approximately $75,900, which the applicant attributed to various factors, including inadequate child support payments from her first husband and medical issues that affected her income.
During the proceedings, the applicant admitted to the existence of the debts but disputed some of the associated fees. She claimed that she had engaged a debt-relief law firm to manage her debts, but failed to provide documentation to support this assertion. While she resolved three of the debts, the remaining debts remained unpaid, and the applicant did not demonstrate a responsible approach to managing her financial obligations. The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that the financial concerns had not been mitigated. The judge emphasized that the applicant's ongoing financial difficulties and lack of documentation undermined her reliability and trustworthiness, leading to the denial of her eligibility for access to classified information.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against 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. 21-00005

deniedMay 9, 2023· Hon. Robert E. Coacher· hearing

Summary

A 37-year-old federal contractor and former U.S. Air Force member was denied a security clearance under Guideline F, Financial Considerations. The denial stemmed from unresolved financial issues totaling approximately $75,900 across six delinquent accounts, indicating a history of not meeting financial obligations.

The Statement of Reasons specifically cited these ongoing and unresolved debts. Disqualifying conditions under Guideline F, paragraphs 19(a) and 19(c), were raised due to the applicant's financial history and the nature of the outstanding debts.

While mitigating conditions under paragraphs 20(a), 20(b), 20(c), and 20(d) were considered, the judge ultimately found that the applicant did not sufficiently mitigate the financial concerns. This was primarily because significant delinquent accounts remained unpaid, and the applicant failed to provide documentation of a payment plan with a debt-relief law firm. Consequently, eligibility for access to classified information was denied.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant has unresolved financial issues totaling approximately $75,900.
Despite some debts being paid, significant delinquent accounts remain unpaid.
The applicant failed to provide documentation of a payment plan with a debt-relief law firm.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

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

Mitigating

AG ¶ 20(a)rejectedBehavior Happened so Long Ago, Was Infrequent, or Occurred Under Circumstances Unlikely to RecurThe applicant's debts are recent and ongoing.
AG ¶ 20(b)rejectedConditions Resulting in Financial Problems Were Largely Beyond the Person's ControlThe applicant did not act responsibly concerning the debts.
AG ¶ 20(c)rejectedReceived Financial Counseling From a Legitimate SourceThe applicant presented no evidence of financial counseling.
AG ¶ 20(d)appliedInitiated and Adhered to a Good-faith Effort to Repay Overdue CreditorsThis applies only to resolved debts.

Key Rule Quoted

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

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedApr 25, 2021
Answer filedMar 7, 2022
Hearing heldJan 25, 2023Hearing was rescheduled twice.
Decision dateMay 9, 2023

Cite For

Denial of Security Clearance Due to Unresolved Financial Issues Under Guideline F
Importance of Providing Documentation for Debt Management
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 that the applicant had six delinquent accounts totaling approximately $75,900, with ongoing and unresolved debts. Although the applicant resolved three debts, the judge concluded that her financial problems were not under control, leading to a decision against her on all allegations under Guideline F.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant has six delinquent accounts totaling approximately $75,900. $75,900	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Denied	—	—	—
1.b	Applicant has a history of not meeting financial obligations.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Denied	—	—	—
1.c	Applicant's debts are ongoing and unresolved.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Denied	—	—	—

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.