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ISCR Case 23-01344 — CASE

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ISCR Case 23-01344

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

Case Profile
Decision Date4/3/2024
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Carol G. Ricciardello
Government Counsel: Sakeena Farhath
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 37-year-old individual seeking a security clearance, facing allegations under Guideline F, which pertains to financial considerations. The Statement of Reasons (SOR) outlined two delinquent debts totaling $40,563, which the applicant admitted were owed to the same creditor. The applicant claimed that these debts were related to her husband's failed business during the pandemic and that they had arranged a payment plan with the creditor. However, the applicant did not provide sufficient documentation to demonstrate that she had settled these debts or adhered to the payment plan.
The administrative judge found that the applicant had not adequately mitigated the security concerns related to her financial situation. Although the applicant claimed her financial circumstances had improved and that she was in a payment plan, she failed to provide evidence of payments made or to respond to the Government's evidence. The judge emphasized that the applicant bore the burden of proof to demonstrate her eligibility for a security clearance. Ultimately, the judge ruled to deny the applicant's eligibility for access to classified information, citing the need to prioritize national security and the applicant's insufficient demonstration of financial responsibility.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 23-01344

deniedApr 3, 2024· Hon. Carol G. Ricciardello· hearing

Summary

A 37-year-old applicant with a master's degree was denied a security clearance under Guideline F (Financial Considerations) due to unresolved financial issues. The Statement of Reasons cited two delinquent debts totaling approximately $40,563. These debts raised disqualifying conditions under Adjudicative Guidelines (AG) ¶ 19(a) and AG ¶ 19(c).

While mitigating conditions AG ¶ 20(b), AG ¶ 20(c), and AG ¶ 20(d) were applied, they were insufficient to overcome the security concerns. The denial was based on the applicant's failure to provide sufficient evidence of repayment for the delinquent debts.

Furthermore, the applicant did not respond to a FORM or provide documentation to support claims of financial responsibility. The judge concluded that these financial issues raised significant doubts about the applicant's reliability and trustworthiness, leading to the denial of the security clearance.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant failed to provide sufficient evidence of repayment for her delinquent debts.
The judge concluded that the applicant's financial issues raised doubts about her reliability and trustworthiness.
The applicant did not respond to the FORM or provide documentation to support her claims of financial responsibility.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

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

Mitigating

AG ¶ 20(b)rejectedConditions Largely Beyond the Person's ControlWhile the applicant experienced financial difficulties due to her husband's business failure, she did not provide proof of responsible actions taken to mitigate her debts.
AG ¶ 20(c)appliedFinancial CounselingThere is evidence of financial counseling, but without documentation, it cannot be fully credited.
AG ¶ 20(d)rejectedGood-faith Effort to Repay DebtsThe applicant did not provide evidence of a good-faith effort to repay her debts.

Key Rule Quoted

“Any doubt concerning personnel being considered for national security eligibility will be resolved in favor of the national security.”
— AG ¶ 2(b)

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedAug 23, 2023
Answer filedSep 1, 2023Applicant elected to proceed without a hearing.
Hearing held—Decision made on the written record.
Decision dateApr 3, 2024

Cite For

Failure to Mitigate Financial Concerns Under Guideline F
Impact of Financial Irresponsibility on Security Clearance Eligibility
Importance of Providing Documentary Evidence in Financial Cases

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 two allegations of delinquent debts totaling approximately $40,563 under Guideline F. Despite the applicant's claims of being in a payment plan and having settled one of the debts, the judge determined that the applicant did not provide sufficient documentation to demonstrate a good-faith effort to resolve the debts.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant has two delinquent debts totaling approximately $40,563. $40,563	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Denied	—	—	—
1.b	Applicant has two delinquent debts totaling approximately $40,563. $40,563	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Denied	—	—	—

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.