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ISCR Case 22-01957 — CASE

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ISCR Case 22-01957

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

Case Profile
Decision Date8/30/2023
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Robert Robinson Gales
Government Counsel: Erin P. Thompson
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 30-year-old employee of a defense contractor who applied for a security clearance on May 13, 2021. The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) on December 12, 2022, citing security concerns under Guideline F (Financial Considerations). The SOR detailed six delinquent accounts totaling approximately $22,637, which raised questions about the applicant's financial responsibility and reliability.
In his response to the SOR, the applicant admitted to all allegations regarding his financial issues but did not provide any substantial mitigation or explanation. He acknowledged having multiple delinquent accounts, including an apartment lease, a cellphone account, and an automobile loan that had been involuntarily repossessed. The applicant attributed his financial difficulties to periods of unemployment and stated that he was unaware of his financial status, as his ex-wife managed their finances. He expressed no intention of paying the debts, opting instead to wait for them to age off his credit report.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that he failed to mitigate the security concerns related to his financial situation. The judge emphasized that the applicant's financial irresponsibility raised significant doubts about his reliability and trustworthiness, which are critical for access to classified information. Consequently, the applicant's eligibility for a security clearance was denied.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 22-01957

deniedAug 30, 2023· Hon. Robert Robinson Gales· hearing

Summary

A 30-year-old defense contractor employee was denied a security clearance under Guideline F, Financial Considerations, due to unresolved financial issues. The applicant had six delinquent accounts totaling approximately $22,637. These included five collection accounts with balances of approximately $4,420, $1,254, $245, $443, and $941, respectively. Additionally, a balance of approximately $15,334 remained after a vehicle repossession.

The administrative judge found that the applicant acknowledged all delinquent accounts but failed to take any positive steps toward their resolution. The applicant explicitly stated no intention to pay these debts, instead indicating a strategy of waiting for them to be removed from his credit report.

This lack of action and expressed intent to avoid payment demonstrated a failure to mitigate the security concerns associated with financial considerations. Consequently, the applicant was denied eligibility for access to classified information, as the ongoing and unresolved financial issues raised concerns about reliability and trustworthiness.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant acknowledged all delinquent accounts but failed to take any positive resolution actions regarding them.
The applicant expressed no intention to pay the debts, indicating a lack of responsibility and judgment regarding financial obligations.
The applicant's financial issues were ongoing and unresolved, raising concerns about reliability and trustworthiness.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 19(a)appliedInability to Satisfy Debts
AG ¶ 19(b)appliedUnwillingness to Satisfy Debts Regardless of the Ability to Do So
AG ¶ 19(c)appliedHistory of Not Meeting Financial Obligations

Key Rule Quoted

“"An applicant who begins to resolve his or her financial problems only after being placed on notice that his or her security clearance is in jeopardy may be lacking in the judgment and self-discipline to follow rules and regulations over time or when there is no immediate threat to his or her own interests."”
— ISCR Case No. 17-01213 at 5 (App. Bd. Jun. 29, 2018)

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedDec 12, 2022
Answer filedDec 19, 2023Applicant elected to have the case decided on the written record.
Hearing held—No hearing; decision based on written record.
Decision dateAug 30, 2023

Cite For

Denial of Security Clearance Due to Unresolved Financial Issues Under Guideline F
Lack of Good-faith Effort to Resolve Debts as a Basis for Denial
Importance of Demonstrating Responsible Financial Behavior 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: Decision on RecordDecided: denied

The judge found against the applicant on all allegations under Guideline F, citing multiple delinquent accounts totaling approximately $22,637. The applicant admitted to the debts but failed to demonstrate effective management or resolution of these financial issues, leading to a denial of the security clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant has a delinquent balance of approximately $4,420 that was placed for collection. $4,420	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (b) unwillingness to satisfy debts regardless of ability (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	Claimed Other
1.b	Applicant has a delinquent balance of approximately $1,254 that was placed for collection. $1,254	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (b) unwillingness to satisfy debts regardless of ability (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	Claimed Other
1.c	Applicant has a delinquent balance of approximately $245 that was placed for collection. $245	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (b) unwillingness to satisfy debts regardless of ability (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	Claimed Other
1.d	Applicant has a delinquent balance of approximately $443 that was placed for collection. $443	Against Applicant	Credit Card Debt	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (b) unwillingness to satisfy debts regardless of ability (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	Claimed Other
1.e	Applicant has a delinquent balance of approximately $941 that was placed for collection. $941	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (b) unwillingness to satisfy debts regardless of ability (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	Claimed Other
1.f	Applicant has a delinquent balance of approximately $15,334 after the vehicle was involuntarily repossessed. $15,334	Against Applicant	Auto Loan Debt	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (b) unwillingness to satisfy debts regardless of ability (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	Claimed Other

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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