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ISCR Case 22-01990 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 22-01990

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

Case Profile
Decision Date8/10/2023
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Carol G. Ricciardello
Government Counsel: Tara R. Karoian
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 53-year-old individual employed by a federal contractor since December 2021. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) on January 5, 2023, citing security concerns under Guideline F, related to financial considerations. The SOR detailed two allegations: a defaulted and charged-off mortgage amounting to $39,289 and an unpaid cable bill of $131. The applicant admitted to both debts in his response to the SOR.
In his defense, the applicant explained that the mortgage default occurred due to payments being sent to the wrong institution after the mortgage was sold. He claimed that the property was sold for more than the owed amount, and he anticipated receiving a refund. However, he did not provide any documentation to support his claims or to demonstrate that the debts had been resolved. The administrative judge noted that the applicant's failure to respond to the Government's evidence and to provide mitigating documentation left significant doubts regarding his financial responsibility.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that he failed to mitigate the security concerns under Guideline F. The judge emphasized that the applicant did not meet his burden of persuasion and that the evidence raised questions about his reliability and trustworthiness, ultimately denying his eligibility for access to classified information.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 22-01990

deniedAug 10, 2023· Hon. Carol G. Ricciardello· hearing

Summary

A 53-year-old federal contractor was denied a security clearance under Guideline F, Financial Considerations, due to unresolved financial issues. The Statement of Reasons specifically cited a defaulted and charged-off mortgage and an outstanding cable bill. These issues raised disqualifying conditions under Adjudicative Guidelines Paragraphs 19(b) and 19(c).

The applicant admitted to both the defaulted mortgage and the outstanding cable bill. While the applicant claimed a pending refund from a property sale, no evidence was provided to substantiate this claim or to demonstrate resolution of the debts. The applicant also failed to provide any evidence to dispute the legitimacy of these financial obligations.

Ultimately, the judge concluded that the applicant's financial irresponsibility raised significant doubts about his reliability and trustworthiness, leading to the denial of the security clearance.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant admitted to defaulting on a mortgage and having an outstanding cable bill.
The applicant did not provide evidence to resolve the debts or dispute their legitimacy.
The judge found that the applicant's financial irresponsibility raised questions about reliability and trustworthiness.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 19(b)raisedUnwillingness to Satisfy Debts Regardless of the Ability to Do So
AG ¶ 19(c)raisedA History of Not Meeting Financial Obligations

Key Rule Quoted

“Failure to live within one’s means, satisfy debts, and meet financial obligations may indicate poor self-control, lack of judgment, or unwillingness to abide by rules and regulations, all of which can raise questions about an individual’s reliability, trustworthiness, and ability to protect classified or sensitive information.”
— AG ¶ 18

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedJan 5, 2023
Answer filedFeb 6, 2023Applicant elected to have the case decided on the written record.
Hearing held—Decision made based on written record.
Decision dateAug 10, 2023

Cite For

Failure to Mitigate Financial Concerns Under Guideline F
Impact of Unresolved Debts on Security Clearance Eligibility
Importance of Providing Evidence to Support Claims of Financial Resolution

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 financial considerations under Guideline F, citing a defaulted mortgage and an unpaid cable bill. The applicant's claims regarding the mortgage foreclosure and the cable bill were not sufficient to mitigate the financial concerns raised.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Defaulted and charged-off mortgage $39,289	Against Applicant	Mortgage or Home Loan Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.b	Cable bill $131	Against Applicant	Utility or Phone Debt	Admitted	—	—	—

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.