CASE · Clearance Adjudication Search EngineCASE

Loading case…

ISCR Case 23-00127 — CASE

DOHA Record Explorer

ISCR Case 23-00127

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

Case Profile
Decision Date3/14/2024
Statusgranted
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Candace Le'i Garcia
Government Counsel: Karen A. Moreno-Sayles
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 34-year-old individual who sought a security clearance and faced allegations under Guideline F (financial considerations) due to 17 delinquent federal student loans totaling $111,769, a credit card in collection for $456, and a city debt in collection for $210. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) on February 3, 2023, citing these financial issues as security concerns.
During the proceedings, the applicant admitted to all allegations in the SOR and attributed his financial difficulties to factors such as underemployment, unemployment, and financial illiteracy. He provided evidence of efforts to address his debts, including setting up payment arrangements for his student loans and resolving smaller debts. By the time of the hearing, he had made several payments and demonstrated a commitment to managing his finances responsibly.
The administrative judge ruled in favor of the applicant, concluding that he had mitigated the financial considerations security concerns. The judge noted that the applicant's financial issues were largely beyond his control and that he had made significant progress in resolving his debts. The overall assessment of the applicant's conduct and circumstances led to the determination that granting eligibility for a security clearance was consistent with the national interest.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · For 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. 23-00127

grantedMar 14, 2024· Hon. Candace Le'i Garcia· hearing

Summary

This case concerns a 34-year-old male applicant whose security clearance was initially questioned under Guideline F (Financial Considerations) due to a history of financial difficulties. The Statement of Reasons cited 17 delinquent federal student loans totaling $111,769, a credit card debt of $456 in collection, and a city debt of $210 also in collection. These issues raised concerns under Disqualifying Conditions AG ¶ 19(a) and AG ¶ 19(c).

However, the administrative judge found that the applicant had taken significant steps to address these debts. Specifically, he resolved the two smaller debts and established payment plans for his student loans after receiving the Statement of Reasons. As a result, his student loans are no longer delinquent.

The judge applied Mitigating Conditions AG ¶ 20(a), AG ¶ 20(b), and AG ¶ 20(d), concluding that the applicant's financial situation is now under control. This demonstrated progress and commitment to resolving his debts mitigated the initial concerns, leading to a determination that his financial history did not cast doubt on his reliability or judgment. Consequently, the applicant was GRANTED eligibility for access to classified information.

Why the Applicant Prevailed

The applicant made meaningful progress in resolving his student loans, which are no longer in delinquent status.
He resolved two smaller debts and established payment plans for his student loans after receiving the SOR.
The applicant's financial situation is under control and does not cast doubt on his reliability or judgment.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

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

Mitigating

AG ¶ 20(b)appliedConditions Largely Beyond the Person's ControlCircumstances beyond the applicant's control contributed to his financial problems.
AG ¶ 20(d)appliedGood-faith Effort to Repay Overdue CreditorsThe applicant initiated and adhered to payment plans for his debts.
AG ¶ 20(a)appliedBehavior Unlikely to RecurThe applicant's financial situation is now under control.

Key Rule Quoted

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

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedFeb 3, 2023
Answer filedFeb 28, 2023
Hearing heldNov 8, 2023via video conference
Decision dateMar 14, 2024

Cite For

Mitigation of Financial Considerations Under Guideline F
Good-faith Efforts to Resolve Debts
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 multiple financial concerns, including 17 delinquent federal student loans totaling $111,769, a credit card in collection for $456, and a city debt in collection for $210. However, the applicant successfully mitigated these concerns by resolving smaller debts and making progress on his student loans, leading to a decision in favor of the applicant.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant had 17 delinquent federal student loans, totaling $111,769 $111,769	For Applicant	Student Loan Debt	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly (d) good-faith effort to repay or otherwise resolve debts	Claimed Other
1.r	a credit card in collection for $456 $456	For Applicant	Credit Card Debt	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly (d) good-faith effort to repay or otherwise resolve debts	Claimed Other
1.s	a city debt in collection for $210 $210	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly (d) good-faith effort to repay or otherwise resolve debts	Claimed Other

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.