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ISCR Case 24-01569 — CASE

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ISCR Case 24-01569

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

Case Profile
Decision Date1/13/2026
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: LeRoy F. Foreman
Government Counsel: Tovah A. Minster
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 54-year-old adjunct researcher for a Department of Defense agency, who submitted a security clearance application in July 2023. The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) on March 5, 2025, citing security concerns under Guideline F (Financial Considerations). The core allegations included the applicant's failure to file federal and state income tax returns for tax years 2018 through 2022 and his substantial tax debts, totaling approximately $35,000.
During the proceedings, the applicant admitted to all allegations in the SOR, explaining that his financial difficulties stemmed from medical expenses and the bankruptcy of a business he had started. He expressed concerns about filing tax returns due to fears of property seizure by the IRS. Despite his claims of intending to resolve his tax issues in 2026, he had not yet contacted tax authorities or sought professional assistance. The administrative judge found that the applicant's financial issues were recent and numerous, and he failed to demonstrate responsible behavior in addressing his tax obligations.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that he had not mitigated the security concerns related to his financial irresponsibility. The judge emphasized the importance of good judgment and reliability in safeguarding classified information, ultimately determining that granting the applicant a security clearance was not consistent with national security interests. Consequently, the applicant's request for a security clearance was denied.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 24-01569

deniedJan 13, 2026· Hon. LeRoy F. Foreman· hearing

Summary

A 54-year-old adjunct researcher was denied a security clearance under Guideline F (Financial Considerations) due to a history of failing to file tax returns and pay taxes. The Statement of Reasons specifically cited his failure to file federal and state income tax returns and pay associated taxes for the tax years 2018 through 2022.

The applicant admitted to these allegations. However, the decision noted that he did not demonstrate responsible actions to resolve his tax issues. This included a lack of effort to contact tax authorities or consult a tax professional to address the outstanding delinquencies.

The denial was based on the recency and numerous nature of his financial delinquencies, coupled with his failure to establish any mitigating conditions. Ultimately, the applicant's inability to resolve his tax issues raised concerns about his reliability and trustworthiness, leading to the denial of his security clearance.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant failed to file federal and state income tax returns for multiple years and did not pay the taxes owed.
He admitted to the allegations but did not take responsible actions to resolve his tax issues, such as contacting tax authorities or consulting a tax professional.
The applicant's financial delinquencies were recent and numerous, and he did not establish any mitigating conditions.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 19(a)appliedInability to Satisfy Debts
AG ¶ 19(b)appliedUnwillingness to Satisfy Debts Regardless of the Ability to Do So
AG ¶ 19(c)appliedA History of Not Meeting Financial Obligations
AG ¶ 19(f)appliedFailure to File or Fraudulently Filing Annual Federal, State, or Local Income Tax Returns or Failure to Pay Annual Federal, State, or Local Income Tax as Required

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedMar 5, 2025
Answer filedApr 18, 2025
Hearing heldDec 19, 2025rescheduled after cancellation due to federal government shutdown
Decision dateJan 13, 2026

Cite For

Failure to File Tax Returns as a Disqualifying Condition Under Guideline F
Lack of Responsible Actions to Resolve Financial Issues Impacting Security Clearance
Recent and Numerous Financial Delinquencies as a Basis for Denial of Security Clearance

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 applicant failed to file federal and state income tax returns for tax years 2018 through 2022, resulting in significant unpaid taxes. The judge ruled against the applicant on all allegations under Guideline F, citing a history of not meeting financial obligations and an inability to satisfy debts.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Failure to file federal and state income tax returns for tax years 2018 through 2022 and failure to pay the taxes that were due. $35,000	Against Applicant	Tax Filing Failure	Unknown	(a) inability to satisfy debts (b) unwillingness to satisfy debts regardless of ability (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations (f) failure to file / fraudulent filing of tax returns or unpaid tax	—	Claimed Other
1.b–1.j	9 sub-charges — specific text not stated in this decision (against the applicant). (low confidence)	Against Applicant			—	—	—

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.