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ISCR Case 21-02566 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 21-02566

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

Case Profile
Decision Date7/26/2023
Statusgranted
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Carol G. Ricciardello
Government Counsel: Jenny G. Bayer
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 48-year-old retired military veteran who sought a security clearance after being issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing financial considerations under Guideline F. The SOR detailed eight delinquent debts totaling approximately $43,973, which raised concerns about the applicant's reliability and trustworthiness in handling classified information.
The applicant admitted to the allegations in the SOR and provided explanations for his financial difficulties, which included the costs associated with purchasing a farm to support his son’s special needs, as well as unexpected expenses related to home repairs and family health issues. He acknowledged being overextended financially but demonstrated efforts to resolve his debts after receiving the SOR, including settling several debts and maintaining a checking account balance of about $11,000. The applicant also presented character references attesting to his integrity and responsibility.
The administrative judge ruled in favor of the applicant, granting eligibility for access to classified information. The judge concluded that the applicant had mitigated the security concerns by taking proactive steps to address his financial issues and by demonstrating a commitment to fiscal responsibility. The judge emphasized the applicant's honorable military service and the positive changes in his financial situation, which contributed to the decision to grant the security clearance.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · For Applicant
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Other decisions whose allegations read most like this one. Descriptive similarity of the allegations only — not a prediction.
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 21-02566

grantedJul 26, 2023· Hon. Carol G. Ricciardello· hearing

Summary

A 48-year-old honorably retired military veteran was granted eligibility for access to classified information despite initial security concerns under Guideline F (Financial Considerations). These concerns arose from multiple delinquent debts, which the applicant attributed to personal circumstances, specifically his son's autism diagnosis and the subsequent need to relocate for specialized educational resources.

The Statement of Reasons detailed several outstanding debts. The applicant testified that two debts, totaling $12,148 and $6,847, were owed to the same creditor, which he recently contacted for resolution. He settled a credit card debt of $6,541 in July 2022 and paid in full a $6,495 debt in August 2022. Additionally, he fully paid four other debts totaling $6,148, $3,869, $1,719, and $206.

The decision to grant clearance was based on the applicant's responsible actions to resolve his debts after being notified of the security concerns. The financial difficulties were deemed to stem from unique personal circumstances unlikely to recur, particularly as his son is now thriving in a supportive educational environment. The mitigating conditions applied included AG ¶ 20(a), AG ¶ 20(b), AG ¶ 20(c), and AG ¶ 20(d).

Why the Applicant Prevailed

The applicant took responsible actions to resolve his delinquent debts after being notified of the security concerns.
The applicant's financial difficulties were attributed to unique personal circumstances that are unlikely to recur.
The applicant's son is thriving in a supportive educational environment, which was a primary motivation for the financial decisions made.

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(d)appliedGood-faith Effort to Repay Debts
AG ¶ 20(c)rejectedFinancial CounselingThe applicant did not receive financial counseling.

Key Rule Quoted

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

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedDec 27, 2021
Answer filedMar 23, 2022
Hearing heldJul 5, 2023
Decision dateJul 26, 2023

Cite For

Mitigation of Financial Concerns Under Guideline F
Impact of Personal Circumstances on Financial Decisions
Whole-person Concept in Security Clearance Evaluations

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 eight delinquent debts totaling approximately $43,973, which he has systematically resolved. The applicant's financial issues were attributed to personal circumstances, and he demonstrated responsibility in addressing his debts, leading to a decision in his favor.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant testified that the debts in SOR ¶¶ 1.a ($12,148) and 1.b ($6,847) are owed to the same creditor and he recently contacted it to resolve them. $12,148	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.b	Applicant testified that the debts in SOR ¶¶ 1.a ($12,148) and 1.b ($6,847) are owed to the same creditor and he recently contacted it to resolve them. $6,847	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.c	he settled the credit card debt alleged in SOR ¶ 1.c ($6,541) in July 2022. $6,541	For Applicant	Credit Card Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.d	In August 2022, he paid in full the debt alleged in SOR ¶ 1.d ($6,495). $6,495	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.e	he paid in full the debts in SOR ¶¶ 1.e ($6,148), 1.f ($3,869), 1.g ($1,719), and 1.h ($206). $6,148	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.f	he paid in full the debts in SOR ¶¶ 1.e ($6,148), 1.f ($3,869), 1.g ($1,719), and 1.h ($206). $3,869	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.g	he paid in full the debts in SOR ¶¶ 1.e ($6,148), 1.f ($3,869), 1.g ($1,719), and 1.h ($206). $1,719	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—
1.h	he paid in full the debts in SOR ¶¶ 1.e ($6,148), 1.f ($3,869), 1.g ($1,719), and 1.h ($206). $206	For 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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