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ISCR Case 24-00002 — CASE

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ISCR Case 24-00002

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

Case Profile
Decision Date3/21/2025
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Pamela C. Benson
Government Counsel: Patricia M. Lynch-Epps
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 62-year-old individual who sought a security clearance after being employed as a test technician for a Department of Defense contractor. The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Guideline F (financial considerations), primarily due to the applicant's failure to file federal income tax returns for the years 2020 and 2021, as well as a history of multiple bankruptcies and outstanding debts.
During the proceedings, the applicant admitted to all allegations in the SOR, including the failure to file tax returns and the existence of significant financial issues stemming from his late wife's medical condition and subsequent death. He acknowledged that he had not filed his tax returns for 2022 and 2023 either, and he provided no documentation to support his claims of financial responsibility. The applicant's testimony revealed inconsistencies regarding his bankruptcies and debts, and he admitted to living paycheck to paycheck without a budget.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that he did not mitigate the financial concerns raised in the SOR. The judge emphasized the applicant's failure to demonstrate responsible action regarding his financial obligations and noted the potential risks associated with granting him access to classified information, ultimately denying his eligibility for a security clearance.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 24-00002

deniedMar 21, 2025· Hon. Pamela C. Benson· hearing

Summary

A 62-year-old male applicant was denied a security clearance under Guideline F, Financial Considerations, due to significant and ongoing financial issues. The Statement of Reasons detailed his failure to file federal income tax returns for 2020 and 2021. Additionally, the applicant had a history of multiple Chapter 13 bankruptcies, with filings in approximately November 1996, November 2001, June 2008, May 2013, February 2016, and September 2018.

Further financial concerns included an approximate $14,305 debt to a finance creditor for a van purchased in about 2015, on which payments had ceased. These issues raised disqualifying conditions related to financial irresponsibility and a pattern of financial difficulties.

Despite admitting to the allegations, the applicant failed to provide sufficient evidence of responsible actions to mitigate these concerns. The decision concluded that his long history of financial troubles, including unfiled tax returns and multiple bankruptcies, continued to raise doubts about his reliability and trustworthiness, leading to the denial of his security clearance.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant failed to file Federal income tax returns for tax years 2020 and 2021, and did not provide evidence of responsible actions to address his financial issues.
He has a long history of financial troubles, including multiple bankruptcies, which continued to cast doubt on his reliability and trustworthiness.
The applicant did not demonstrate a good-faith effort to resolve his delinquent accounts or tax filings.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 19(a)raisedInability to Satisfy Debts
AG ¶ 19(c)raisedA History of Not Meeting Financial Obligations
AG ¶ 19(f)raisedFailure to File or Fraudulently Filing Annual Federal, State, or Local Income Tax Returns

Key Rule Quoted

“Failure to comply with federal and state tax laws suggests that an applicant has a problem with abiding to well-established Government rules and regulations.”
— ISCR Case No. 14-04437 at 3 (App. Bd. Apr. 15, 2016)

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedJan 19, 2024
Answer filedFeb 23, 2024Applicant admitted all allegations.
Hearing heldDec 10, 2024Conducted via online video teleconferencing.
Decision dateMar 21, 2025

Cite For

Failure to File Tax Returns as a Disqualifying Condition Under Guideline F
Long History of Financial Troubles Impacting Security Clearance Eligibility
Insufficient Evidence of Responsible Actions to Mitigate Financial Concerns

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 against the applicant, including failure to file federal income tax returns for 2020 and 2021, and a significant vehicle loan debt of approximately $14,305. The applicant's history of multiple Chapter 13 bankruptcies and ongoing financial issues led to a decision against the applicant under Guideline F.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant failed to file, as required, Federal income tax returns for tax years (TY) 2020 and 2021.	Against Applicant	Tax Filing Failure	Unknown	—	—	—
1.b	Applicant filed for Chapter 13 Bankruptcy in about November 1996, discharged in about November 2001.	Against Applicant	Bankruptcy Filing	Unknown	—	—	—
1.c	Applicant filed for Chapter 13 Bankruptcy in about November 2001, discharged in about October 2005.	Against Applicant	Bankruptcy Filing	Unknown	—	—	—
1.d	Applicant filed for Chapter 13 Bankruptcy in about June 2008, dismissed in about October 2012.	Against Applicant	Bankruptcy Filing	Unknown	—	—	—
1.e	Applicant filed for Chapter 13 Bankruptcy in about May 2013, dismissed in about October 2014.	Against Applicant	Bankruptcy Filing	Unknown	—	—	—
1.f	Applicant filed for Chapter 13 Bankruptcy in about February 2016, dismissed in about June 2018.	Against Applicant	Bankruptcy Filing	Unknown	—	—	—
1.g	Applicant filed for Chapter 13 Bankruptcy in about September 2018, dismissed in about June 2020.	Against Applicant	Bankruptcy Filing	Unknown	—	—	—
1.h	Applicant is indebted to a finance creditor in the amount of approximately $14,305 for a van he had purchased in about 2015 and then stopped making payments. $14,305	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Unknown	—	—	—

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.