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ISCR Case 23-02854 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 23-02854

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

Case Profile
Decision Date10/15/2024
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Related decisionSee the appeal decision (Case ISCR Case No. 23-02854) →
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Darlene Lokey Anderson
Government Counsel: John B. Renehan
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 31-year-old Maintenance Electrician who sought a security clearance. The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Guideline F, Financial Considerations, due to eleven delinquent debts totaling approximately $21,000. The allegations indicated that the applicant's financial decisions reflected poor self-control and judgment, raising questions about his reliability and trustworthiness.
During the proceedings, the applicant admitted to the debts listed in the SOR and explained that his financial difficulties stemmed from an unexpected job termination. He acknowledged providing false information on his security clearance application regarding his debts, claiming misunderstanding of the questions. The applicant indicated he had not previously followed a budget or learned financial responsibility but had recently begun addressing his debts, including hiring a credit counseling service that he found unhelpful.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that the applicant's financial history demonstrated a lack of judgment and responsibility, which posed a risk to national security. The judge emphasized the importance of trust in the fiduciary relationship between the applicant and the government, stating that the applicant had not sufficiently mitigated the concerns raised by his financial issues.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 23-02854

deniedOct 15, 2024· Hon. Darlene Lokey Anderson· hearing

Summary

A 31-year-old Maintenance Electrician was denied a security clearance under Guideline F (Financial Considerations) due to multiple delinquent debts totaling approximately $21,000. The applicant admitted to the debts, attributing them to financial difficulties following job loss. However, the administrative judge found insufficient evidence of financial responsibility.

The Statement of Reasons detailed eleven specific allegations, including a $4,462 cellular phone bill for the applicant and his deceased girlfriend, a $2,658 personal loan, and a $9,125 auto loan for a vehicle voluntarily repossessed in 2019 after job termination. Other debts included credit card balances for groceries and children's clothes, a payday loan, and additional cell phone and home internet bills. One department store credit card debt of $540 was resolved in full through three payments.

The denial was based on the applicant's history of financial irresponsibility, a prolonged period of ignoring delinquent debts, and providing false responses on the security clearance application regarding his financial history. The judge concluded that the applicant had not sufficiently resolved enough of his delinquent debts to demonstrate the required financial responsibility and integrity.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant has a history of financial irresponsibility and ignored delinquent debts for a long time.
The applicant provided false responses on the security clearance application regarding his financial history.
The applicant has not sufficiently resolved enough of his delinquent debts to demonstrate financial responsibility.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 19(a)raisedInability or Unwillingness to Satisfy Debts
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.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedJan 9, 2024
Answer filedJan 15, 2024
Hearing heldAug 21, 2024
Decision dateOct 15, 2024

Cite For

Insufficient Evidence of Financial Responsibility Under Guideline F
Importance of Truthful Responses on Security Clearance Applications
Impact of Financial Irresponsibility 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 multiple financial concerns under Guideline F, with several debts remaining unpaid. While one debt was resolved, the overall financial situation raised significant questions about the applicant's reliability and trustworthiness, leading to a denial of the security clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant is indebted to a creditor in the amount of $4,462 for an account that was placed for collection. This was a cellular phone bill from services for Applicant and his deceased girlfriend. $4,462	Against Applicant	Utility or Phone Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.b	Applicant was indebted to a creditor in the amount of $2,658 for an account that was charged off. He admitted the debt, but he does not recognize the debt, which appears to be a personal loan. $2,658	Against Applicant	Personal Loan Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.c	Applicant was indebted to a creditor in the amount of $760 for an account that was charged off. This was a credit card he used for groceries between 2018 to 2019. $760	Against Applicant	Credit Card Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.d	Applicant was indebted to a creditor in the amount of $540 for an account that was charged off. This was a department store credit card he used for children’s clothes between 2018 to 2019. Applicant made payments of $90.15, twice in July and once in August and resolved the debt in full. $540	For Applicant	Credit Card Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.e	Applicant is indebted to a creditor in the amount of $469 for an account that was charged off. This is a payday loan. $469	Against Applicant	Personal Loan Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.f	Applicant is indebted to a creditor in the amount of $163 for an account that was charged off. This was a T-mobile account. $163	Against Applicant	Utility or Phone Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.g	Applicant is indebted to a creditor in the amount of $9,125 for an account that was charged off. This is an auto loan for a vehicle purchased in 2018. The car was voluntarily repossessed in 2019, after Applicant was terminated from his job. $9,125	Against Applicant	Auto Loan Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.h	Applicant is indebted to a creditor in the amount of $1,703 for an account that was placed for collection. This is a cell phone bill. $1,703	Against Applicant	Utility or Phone Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.i	Applicant is indebted to a creditor in the amount of $671 for an account that was placed for collection. This is a credit card he used for groceries from 2018 to 2019. $671	Against Applicant	Credit Card Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.j	Applicant is indebted to a creditor in the amount of $529 for an account that was placed for collection. This is a home internet account. $529	Against Applicant	Utility or Phone Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.k	Applicant is indebted to a creditor in the amount of $285 for an account that was charged off. This is a credit card. $285	Against Applicant	Credit Card 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.