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ISCR Case 24-01659 — CASE

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ISCR Case 24-01659

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

Case Profile
Decision Date9/5/2025
Statusgranted
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Braden M. Murphy
Government Counsel: Cynthia Ruckno
Case Summary
The applicant in this case sought a security clearance in connection with her employment in the defense industry. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons citing security concerns under Guideline F (financial considerations), primarily due to the applicant's delinquent debts totaling approximately $49,156. The applicant responded to the allegations, admitting to the existence of the debts but contesting the specific amounts claimed in the Statement of Reasons.
During the hearing, the applicant provided evidence of her efforts to address her financial issues, including her participation in a debt relief program since August 2022, where she has been making regular payments. She acknowledged her financial difficulties stemmed from losing her job and underestimating homeownership costs after her divorce. Despite recent employment challenges, she remained current on her mortgage and demonstrated a commitment to resolving her debts. The applicant also submitted character references attesting to her integrity and responsibility.
The administrative judge ruled in favor of the applicant, concluding that she had provided sufficient evidence to mitigate the financial security concerns. The judge noted the applicant's proactive steps to manage her debts and her overall financial responsibility, which contributed to the decision to grant her eligibility for access to classified information.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · For Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 24-01659

grantedSep 5, 2025· Hon. Braden M. Murphy· hearing

Summary

A 50-year-old female applicant with a finance background was initially flagged under Guideline F (Financial Considerations) due to approximately $49,156 in delinquent debts. These debts included charged-off accounts from Bank U ($10,387), Bank C ($9,538), a home furnishing store ($8,527), Bank D ($6,555), Bank A ($6,329), and Bank W ($2,725), along with another furniture store account ($5,095).

To address these concerns, the applicant actively participated in a debt relief program, demonstrating a good faith effort to resolve her financial issues. She provided evidence of consistent payments and settlements for several of the delinquent accounts. Additionally, character references were submitted, attesting to her integrity and responsible approach to financial matters.

Based on these mitigating actions, specifically her proactive financial management and the resolution of multiple debts, the administrative judge applied mitigating condition AG ¶ 20(d). Consequently, the applicant was granted security clearance eligibility.

Why the Applicant Prevailed

The applicant demonstrated a good faith effort to resolve her debts through a debt relief program.
She provided evidence of regular payments and settlements for several delinquent accounts.
Character references supported her integrity and responsibility in financial matters.

Conditions Referenced

Mitigating

AG ¶ 20(d)appliedGood-faith Effort to Repay Overdue CreditorsThe applicant established a plan to resolve her financial problems and took significant actions to implement that plan.

Key Rule Quoted

“The clearly consistent standard indicates that security determinations should err, if they must, on the side of denials.”
— Department of the Navy v. Egan, 484 U.S. 518, 531 (1988)

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedFeb 21, 2025
Answer filedMar 8, 2025
Hearing heldJul 23, 2025via video teleconference
Decision dateSep 5, 2025

Cite For

Mitigation of Financial Concerns Under Guideline F
Good Faith Efforts in Debt Resolution
Importance of Character References in 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: granted

The judge found that the applicant had addressed all debts listed under Guideline F and provided sufficient documentation to demonstrate that several debts were being settled or had been resolved. Ultimately, the judge ruled in favor of the applicant, concluding that she had shown good faith in repaying her creditors.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	SOR ¶ 1.a ($10,387) is an account that has been charged off by Bank U.	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Denied	—	—	—
1.b	SOR ¶ 1.b ($9,538) is an account that has been charged off by Bank C.	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Denied	—	—	—
1.c	SOR ¶ 1.c ($8,527) is a credit account with a home furnishing store, an account that has been charged off. $6,400	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Denied	—	—	—
1.d	SOR ¶ 1.d ($6,555) is a credit account that has been charged off by Bank D. $5,264	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Denied	—	—	—
1.e	SOR ¶ 1.e ($6,329) is a credit account that has been charged off by Bank A. $5,650	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Denied	—	—	—
1.f	SOR ¶ 1.f ($5,095) is a credit account for a furniture store. $2,293	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Denied	—	—	—
1.g	SOR ¶ 1.g ($2,725) is a credit account that has been charged off by Bank W.	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Denied	—	—	—

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.