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ISCR Case 23-01311 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 23-01311

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

Case Profile
Decision Date3/14/2024
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Roger C. Wesley
Government Counsel: Troy L. Nussbaum
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 31-year-old employee of a defense contractor seeking a security clearance. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing financial considerations as the primary concern, alleging that the applicant had accumulated 20 delinquent consumer debts totaling over $48,000. The SOR indicated that these debts had not been resolved and raised questions about the applicant's reliability and trustworthiness.
During the proceedings, the applicant admitted to most of the debts but denied responsibility for a few, claiming uncertainty about their ownership. He attributed his financial difficulties to overspending during his first marriage and acknowledged the debts assigned to him in his divorce decree. Although he had made some efforts to address his debts, including paying off one account and engaging a credit repair service, he had only resolved two of the delinquent debts listed in the SOR. The applicant's financial situation was further complicated by his child support obligations, which limited his disposable income.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that he did not sufficiently mitigate the financial concerns. The judge noted that despite the applicant's acceptance of responsibility and attempts to manage his debts, the overall financial picture indicated a failure to live within his means and a lack of progress in resolving the outstanding debts. 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. 23-01311

deniedMar 14, 2024· Hon. Roger C. Wesley· hearing

Summary

A 31-year-old defense contractor was denied a security clearance under Guideline F (Financial Considerations) due to 20 delinquent consumer debts totaling over $48,000. The Statement of Reasons alleged these debts, citing Disqualifying Conditions 19(a) and 19(c). While the applicant admitted to most debts and claimed uncertainty regarding a few, the judge found insufficient evidence of mitigation.

Specific allegations included the accumulation of these debts, though the applicant did pay off one automotive debt and was compliant with child support obligations, including arrears. However, these actions were not deemed sufficient to mitigate the broader financial concerns.

The denial was based on the applicant's failure to demonstrate a tangible payment history of actual debt reduction. His financial issues were longstanding and largely unresolved, raising concerns about his reliability and trustworthiness. Furthermore, engagement with a credit repair service did not produce tangible results in resolving the outstanding debts.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant failed to demonstrate a sufficient tangible payment history of actual debt reduction.
The applicant's financial issues were longstanding and unresolved, raising concerns about his reliability and trustworthiness.
The applicant's engagement with a credit repair service did not produce tangible results in resolving his debts.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

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

Key Rule Quoted

“Eligibility for access to classified information may only be granted "upon a finding that it is clearly consistent with the national interest to do so."”
— Exec. Or. 10865, Safeguarding Classified Information within Industry § 2 (Feb. 20, 1960), as amended.

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedAug 17, 2023
Answer filedundated
Hearing heldFeb 2, 2024via Microsoft Teams Teleconference Services
Decision dateMar 14, 2024

Cite For

Denial of Security Clearance Due to Unresolved Financial Obligations
Importance of Demonstrating a Good-faith Payment History
Impact of Financial Instability on Security Clearance Eligibility

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 that the applicant had accumulated 20 delinquent consumer debts exceeding $48,000, which raised significant financial concerns. While the applicant was credited for paying off one automotive debt and was in compliance with child support obligations, the overall financial issues were deemed not mitigated, resulting in a denial of eligibility for access to classified information.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant allegedly accumulated 20 delinquent consumer debts exceeding $48,000. $48,000	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (b) unwillingness to satisfy debts regardless of ability	—	—
1.h	Applicant paid off the automotive debt covered by SOR ¶ 1.h. $2,100	For Applicant	Auto Loan Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.s	Applicant is in compliance with child support obligations, including arrears. $4,096	For Applicant	Child Support 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.