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ISCR Case 23-01427 — CASE

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ISCR Case 23-01427

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

Case Profile
Decision Date3/6/2024
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Carol G. Ricciardello
Government Counsel: Karen A. Moreno-Sayles
Case Summary
Applicant, a 31-year-old individual pursuing a bachelor's degree while employed by a federal contractor since 2022, faced security concerns under Guideline F, related to financial considerations. The Statement of Reasons (SOR) outlined two delinquent accounts totaling over $35,000, which were charged off in November 2022. Applicant admitted to the debts, which were for private student loans, but claimed that his mother was responsible for their repayment. He did not provide evidence to support this assertion or to demonstrate that he was not liable for the debts.
The administrative judge found that Applicant had not mitigated the financial concerns. Despite his admission of the debts and acknowledgment of their delinquent status, he failed to present any documentation showing that the responsibility for repayment had been transferred to his mother. The judge noted that Applicant's financial issues were recent and did not arise from circumstances beyond his control. Additionally, there was no evidence of financial counseling or a good-faith effort to repay the debts. Consequently, the judge ruled against the applicant, denying eligibility for access to classified information based on the lack of evidence to alleviate the security concerns.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 23-01427

deniedMar 6, 2024· Hon. Carol G. Ricciardello· hearing

Summary

A 31-year-old federal contractor was denied a security clearance under Guideline F, Financial Considerations, due to unresolved financial issues. The Statement of Reasons cited two delinquent student loans: one for $22,616 and another for $12,609, totaling $35,225. These issues raised disqualifying conditions under Adjudicative Guideline paragraphs 19(b) and 19(c).

The applicant admitted responsibility for both delinquent student loans but failed to provide any evidence of repayment or mitigation efforts. Specifically, the applicant claimed the loans had been transferred to his mother and were being paid by her, but no supporting documentation was submitted to substantiate this claim.

The judge determined that the applicant's financial issues were recent and did not arise under unique or mitigating circumstances. Consequently, the applicant did not meet the burden of persuasion regarding financial responsibility, leading to the denial of the security clearance.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant admitted responsibility for two delinquent student loans totaling $35,225 but failed to provide evidence of repayment or mitigation.
The applicant did not submit any documentation to support claims that the loans were transferred to his mother and are being paid by her.
The applicant's financial issues were recent and did not occur under unique circumstances that would mitigate the concerns.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 19(b)raisedUnwillingness to Satisfy Debts Regardless of 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 issuedJul 28, 2023
Answer filed—Applicant elected to have the case decided on the written record.
Hearing held—Decision made based on written record.
Decision dateMar 6, 2024

Cite For

Failure to Provide Evidence of Financial Responsibility Under Guideline F
Impact of Unresolved Financial Obligations on Security Clearance Eligibility
Burden of Persuasion Regarding Financial Issues in Security Clearance 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 accounts totaling $34,225, which were identified as private student loans. The applicant admitted to the debts but failed to provide sufficient evidence to mitigate the financial concerns, resulting in a denial of eligibility for a security clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Delinquent account of $22,616 $22,616	Against Applicant	Student Loan Debt	Admitted	—	—	Claimed Other
1.b	Delinquent account of $12,609 $12,609	Against Applicant	Student Loan Debt	Admitted	—	—	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.