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ISCR Case 24-01873 — CASE

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ISCR Case 24-01873

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

Case Profile
Decision Date2/27/2026
Statusgranted
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Wilford H. Ross
Government Counsel: Brian L. Farrell
Case Summary
Applicant, a 66-year-old field support engineer with a high school education and a history of military service, sought a security clearance after the Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing financial concerns under Guideline F. The SOR alleged that Applicant was financially overextended, owing approximately $25,315 in two charged-off debts, which raised questions about his reliability and trustworthiness.
During the proceedings, Applicant admitted to the debts but clarified that they became delinquent after a three-year overseas assignment and the death of one of his children. He provided evidence of a payment agreement with a collection agency for both debts and demonstrated a commitment to repaying them, having made significant payments that reduced the total owed. Applicant also presented positive performance evaluations and a letter of recommendation from his supervisor, indicating his professional reliability.
The administrative judge ruled in favor of Applicant, concluding that he had mitigated the security concerns associated with his financial situation. The judge noted that Applicant's proactive efforts to address his debts, along with his long-standing employment and positive work history, supported a finding of eligibility for access to classified information. The decision emphasized the importance of considering the totality of the applicant's circumstances and actions in evaluating his trustworthiness.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · For Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 24-01873

grantedFeb 27, 2026· Hon. Wilford H. Ross· hearing

Summary

A 66-year-old defense contractor, with a high school education and military service, was granted a security clearance despite concerns under Guideline F (Financial Considerations). The Statement of Reasons cited two charged-off debts totaling approximately $25,315. Specifically, one debt of $15,559 was reduced to $11,670 through an agreement, and another debt of $9,756 was reduced to $7,320. These issues raised Disqualifying Conditions AG ¶ 19(a) and AG ¶ 19(c).

However, the decision applied Mitigating Conditions AG ¶ 20(a), AG ¶ 20(b), and AG ¶ 20(d). The applicant demonstrated responsible financial behavior by making consistent payments towards resolving the debts. His financial difficulties were attributed to circumstances beyond his control, including a family tragedy and a lack of creditor response.

Ultimately, the applicant provided a credible plan to address his financial obligations, leading to the favorable outcome of being granted eligibility for access to classified information.

Why the Applicant Prevailed

The applicant made consistent payments towards resolving his debts, demonstrating responsible financial behavior.
The applicant's financial difficulties were largely due to circumstances beyond his control, including a family tragedy and a lack of response from the creditor.
The applicant provided evidence of a credible plan to address his financial obligations.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

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

Mitigating

AG ¶ 20(a)appliedBehavior Occurred Under Circumstances Unlikely to Recur
AG ¶ 20(b)appliedConditions Largely Beyond the Person's Control
AG ¶ 20(d)appliedGood-faith Effort to Repay Debts

Key Rule Quoted

“An applicant is not required, as a matter of law, to establish that he has paid off each and every debt listed in the SOR.”
— ISCR Case No. 07-06482 (App. Bd. May 21, 2008)

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedApr 25, 2025
Answer filedMay 27, 2025
Hearing heldNov 18, 2025
Decision dateFeb 27, 2026

Cite For

Mitigation of Financial Concerns Under Guideline F
Demonstration of Good-faith Efforts to Resolve Debts
Consideration of Personal Circumstances Affecting Financial Stability

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 two delinquent debts totaling approximately $25,315, which he had not paid. However, the applicant successfully mitigated the financial concerns by demonstrating a credible intent and ability to maintain payments, leading to a decision to grant his security clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant reached an agreement with the collection agency to reduce the debt from $15,559 to $11,670. $11,670	For Applicant	Credit Card Debt	Unknown	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	(a) behavior happened long ago / infrequent / unlikely to recur (b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly	Claimed Debt Paid in Full
1.b	Applicant reached an agreement with the collection agency to reduce the debt from $9,756 to $7,320. $7,320	For Applicant	Credit Card Debt	Unknown	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	(a) behavior happened long ago / infrequent / unlikely to recur (b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly	Claimed Debt Paid in Full

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.