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ISCR Case 23-02174 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 23-02174

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

Case Profile
Decision Date2/28/2024
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Related decisionSee the appeal decision (Case ISCR Case No. 23-02174) →
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Roger C. Wesley
Government Counsel: David F. Hayes
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 36-year-old employee of a defense contractor seeking a security clearance. The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing financial considerations as the primary concern, specifically alleging that the applicant had accumulated nine delinquent debts totaling over $42,000. The SOR indicated that these debts remained unresolved, raising questions about the applicant's reliability and judgment.
In his response to the SOR, the applicant admitted to five of the allegations, providing explanations and claiming that some debts had been settled or were in the process of being resolved. He denied four allegations, asserting that those debts were being disputed and would be removed from his credit report. Despite some documentation of debt payoffs, the administrative judge found that the applicant failed to provide sufficient evidence of resolution for the majority of the debts, which continued to raise security concerns.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that the financial considerations posed a significant risk to national security. The judge noted that the applicant's admitted delinquencies indicated poor financial management and a lack of reliability, which were critical factors in determining eligibility for access to classified information. Consequently, the applicant's request for a security clearance was denied.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
Similar decisions
Other decisions whose allegations read most like this one. Descriptive similarity of the allegations only — not a prediction.
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 23-02174

deniedFeb 28, 2024· Hon. Roger C. Wesley· hearing

Summary

A 36-year-old defense contractor employee was denied a security clearance under Guideline F (Financial Considerations) due to unresolved financial issues. The Statement of Reasons alleged nine delinquent debts totaling over $42,000. The applicant claimed these debts were being settled and would be documented with proofs of payment, asserting they would be paid in full.

However, the judge found insufficient evidence that the majority of these debts had been resolved. The applicant's promises to pay were not considered a substitute for a demonstrated history of timely payments.

The denial was based on Disqualifying Conditions 19(a) and 19(c), emphasizing that financial stability is essential for trustworthiness when handling classified information. The applicant failed to provide adequate proof of debt resolution, leading to the denial of the security clearance.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant failed to provide sufficient evidence of resolving the majority of his delinquent debts.
The judge found that the applicant's promises to pay were not a substitute for a track record of timely payments.
Financial stability is essential for trustworthiness in handling classified information.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

19(a)appliedInability to Satisfy Debts
19(c)appliedA 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 issuedOct 5, 2023
Answer filedOct 14, 2023Requested resolution on the written record without a hearing.
Hearing held—Case assigned on February 6, 2024.
Decision dateFeb 28, 2024

Cite For

Denial of Security Clearance Due to Unresolved Financial Issues Under Guideline F
Importance of Documented Evidence in Resolving Financial Delinquencies
The Necessity of Financial Stability for Trustworthiness in Handling Classified Information.

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 that the applicant had accumulated nine delinquent debts exceeding $42,000, which were not resolved and remained outstanding. Although the applicant claimed that some debts had been settled and would be documented, the judge ruled against the applicant on the majority of allegations under Guideline F, ultimately denying the application for clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant allegedly accumulated nine delinquent debts exceeding $42,000. $42,000	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts	—	—
1.d	Claimed debts have been settled and will be documented with proofs of payment. $3,000	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	(g) arrangements made with the tax authority; in compliance	Claimed Debt Paid in Full
1.i	Claimed debts will be paid in full. $0	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	(g) arrangements made with the tax authority; in compliance	Claimed Debt Paid in Full

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.