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ISCR Case 24-01008 — CASE

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ISCR Case 24-01008

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

Case Profile
Decision Date2/19/2025
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Related decisionSee the appeal decision (Case 24-01008) →
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Mark W. Harvey
Government Counsel: Troy L. Nussbaum
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 42-year-old field technician employed by a government contractor for nine years. The Department of Defense (DOD) issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Guideline F, specifically related to financial considerations. The SOR alleged that the applicant had eight delinquent debts totaling $56,602, which raised questions about his reliability and trustworthiness.
During the proceedings, the applicant admitted to opening some accounts listed in the SOR and acknowledged that his spouse had opened others in his name. He provided some mitigating information, including a voluntary payment plan for two of the debts and ongoing garnishment for another. However, he also indicated a lack of awareness regarding several debts until he completed his security clearance application. The applicant's financial situation was complicated by discrepancies in reported income and expenses, and he had not sought credit counseling.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that the financial concerns were not sufficiently mitigated. The judge emphasized that the applicant's financial history indicated a lack of self-control and poor judgment, which could pose a risk to national security. The decision ultimately denied the applicant's eligibility for access to classified information, reflecting the high standards required for security clearance.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · For Applicant
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 24-01008

deniedFeb 19, 2025· Hon. Mark W. Harvey· hearing

Summary

A 42-year-old field technician was denied a security clearance under Guideline F (Financial Considerations) due to eight delinquent debts totaling $56,602. The Statement of Reasons specifically alleged a charged-off debt of $34,674, an account placed for collection for $687, and another charged-off debt of $16,062. These issues raised disqualifying conditions under Adjudicative Guideline (AG) ¶ 19(a) and AG ¶ 19(c).

While the applicant initiated a payment plan for two of the debts, the judge determined that this progress was insufficient to mitigate the overall financial concerns. The applicant failed to maintain contact with several creditors and did not establish payment plans for most of the outstanding obligations.

Despite the application of mitigating conditions under AG ¶ 20(a) and AG ¶ 20(d), the judge concluded that the applicant had not demonstrated adequate resolution of the financial issues. Consequently, the security clearance was denied.

Why the Applicant Prevailed

Two debts were mitigated through an established payment plan.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

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

Mitigating

AG ¶ 20(d)rejectedGood-faith Effort to Repay Overdue CreditorsThe applicant did not demonstrate significant progress in addressing delinquent debts.
AG ¶ 20(a)rejectedBehavior Happened Long Ago or InfrequentlyOngoing unpaid debts demonstrate a continuing course of conduct.

Key Rule Quoted

“Eligibility for a security clearance is predicated upon the applicant meeting the criteria contained in the adjudicative guidelines.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedAug 6, 2024
Answer filed—
Hearing heldDec 16, 2024via Microsoft Teams
Decision dateFeb 19, 2025

Cite For

Denial of Security Clearance Due to Unresolved Financial Issues Under Guideline F
Importance of Demonstrating Financial Responsibility for Security Clearance Eligibility
Impact of Ongoing Unpaid Debts on Security Clearance Decisions

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, including charged-off debts and accounts placed for collection. While some debts were mitigated due to a voluntary payment plan, the overall financial situation was deemed not fully mitigated, leading to a decision against the applicant.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	SOR ¶ 1.a alleges a charged-off debt for $34,674. $34,674	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Unknown	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	—
1.b	SOR ¶ 1.b alleges an account placed for collection for $687. $687	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly	Credited Payment Plan with Creditor
1.d	SOR ¶ 1.d alleges a charged-off debt for $16,062. $16,062	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Unknown	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	—

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.