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ISCR Case 21-01736 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 21-01736

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

Case Profile
Decision Date9/11/2023
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Carol G. Ricciardello
Government Counsel: Brittany C. M. White
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 61-year-old individual who had served in the military and was seeking a security clearance. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Guideline F, specifically related to financial considerations. The SOR detailed 16 delinquent debts totaling approximately $24,444, which the applicant admitted to, stating that his financial difficulties arose after he paid his daughter's mortgage, leading to his own accounts becoming delinquent.
During the proceedings, the applicant acknowledged his financial issues and admitted to not being proactive in addressing his debts until after receiving the SOR. He had begun making payments towards some debts and contracted with a debt solution company to help settle his accounts. However, he failed to provide documentation to substantiate his claims of debt resolution and did not have a clear plan for addressing the remaining debts. The applicant also indicated that he had not filed his tax returns for the past three years and did not have sufficient funds to settle his outstanding debts.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that he had not sufficiently mitigated the security concerns related to his financial situation. The judge emphasized the importance of financial responsibility in maintaining trustworthiness for access to classified information and noted that the applicant's lack of proactive measures and failure to provide evidence of debt resolution raised significant doubts about his reliability and judgment. Consequently, the applicant's eligibility for access to classified information was denied.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · For Applicant
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 21-01736

deniedSep 11, 2023· Hon. Carol G. Ricciardello· hearing

Summary

A 61-year-old military retiree was denied a security clearance under Guideline F (Financial Considerations) due to numerous delinquent debts totaling approximately $24,444. The Statement of Reasons (SOR) alleged that the applicant failed to take timely action to resolve these debts, and while some were addressed through a debt solution company, significant unresolved debts remained. Concerns were raised regarding his reliability, trustworthiness, and judgment, particularly as his financial problems were recent, numerous, and not adequately addressed until after receiving the SOR.

The administrative judge noted that the applicant admitted to the delinquent debts but failed to provide sufficient documentary evidence to substantiate claims of debt resolution. The judge concluded that the applicant's financial problems were within his control and that his failure to address them until after receiving the SOR indicated poor judgment.

Ultimately, the applicant failed to mitigate the security concerns, leading to the denial of his eligibility for access to classified information.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant admitted to numerous delinquent debts totaling approximately $24,444.
He failed to provide documentary evidence to substantiate claims of debt resolution.
The applicant's financial problems were within his control and not adequately addressed until after receiving the SOR.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

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

Mitigating

AG ¶ 20(d)appliedThe Individual Initiated and Is Adhering to a Good-faith Effort to Repay Overdue Creditors or Otherwise Resolve DebtsThe applicant resolved some debts through a debt solution company.

Key Rule Quoted

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

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedMay 15, 2022
Answer filedAug 17, 2022
Hearing heldAug 14, 2023
Decision dateSep 11, 2023

Cite For

Failure to Mitigate Financial Concerns Under Guideline F
Importance of Providing Documentary Evidence in Financial Cases
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 against the applicant, including numerous delinquent debts totaling approximately $24,444. While some debts were resolved, the applicant failed to provide sufficient evidence of financial counseling or a solid plan to address ongoing financial issues, leading to a denial of the security clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant has numerous delinquent debts totaling approximately $24,444. $24,444	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.b	Applicant failed to take timely action to resolve his debts.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.c	Applicant resolved some debts through a debt solution company.	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.d	Applicant has not made payments on certain debts since engaging with the debt solution company.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.e	Applicant's financial problems are recent and numerous.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.f	Applicant failed to provide evidence of financial counseling.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.g	Some debts were resolved and do not appear in the recent credit report.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.h	Applicant has a meeting scheduled to discuss settlement of remaining debts.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.i	Applicant's financial decisions have raised questions about his reliability and trustworthiness.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.j	Applicant's failure to address debts until after receiving the SOR indicates poor judgment.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.k	Applicant's financial issues are indicative of a lack of self-control.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.l	Applicant's financial history raises concerns about his ability to protect classified information.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.m	Applicant's debts remain unresolved and he lacks a plan to address them.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.n	Applicant's financial situation does not reflect good judgment or responsibility.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.p	Applicant's financial issues are ongoing and unresolved, impacting his security clearance eligibility.	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—

Descriptive standardized rendering of a decided public case (Guideline F). The verbatim source decision is shown in full below.

Full decision

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