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ISCR Case 25-00399 — CASE

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ISCR Case 25-00399

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

Case Profile
Decision Date2/19/2026
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Darlene Lokey Anderson
Government Counsel: Aubery De Angelis
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 36-year-old individual employed as a Metal and Composite Bonder, Level 2, who sought a security clearance. The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing concerns under Guideline F, Financial Considerations, due to five delinquent debts totaling approximately $29,368, which included federal tax debts and a credit card debt. The allegations indicated that the applicant's financial decisions reflected poor self-control and raised questions about his reliability and trustworthiness.
During the proceedings, the applicant admitted to the debts outlined in the SOR and explained that his financial difficulties stemmed from a series of job layoffs and a problematic experience with a tax preparer who had filed fraudulent returns on his behalf. He stated that he had since taken steps to rectify his tax situation by hiring a certified tax preparer and establishing a payment plan with the IRS. The applicant also mentioned that he was living paycheck to paycheck and had limited discretionary funds, but he and his wife planned to manage their finances jointly to address the debts.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that the financial issues raised significant concerns regarding his judgment and reliability. The judge noted that while the applicant had taken some steps to address his debts, the overall financial history indicated a pattern of not meeting obligations, which was deemed inconsistent with the trust required for access to classified information. The decision emphasized the importance of financial responsibility in maintaining national security.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
Similar decisions
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 25-00399

deniedFeb 19, 2026· Hon. Darlene Lokey Anderson· hearing

Summary

A 36-year-old metal and composite bonder was denied a security clearance under Guideline F, Financial Considerations, due to multiple delinquent tax debts and a charged-off bank account. The applicant admitted to owing the federal government approximately $29,368 in delinquent taxes across four tax years: $1,092 for 2015, $14,587 for 2018, $10,850 for 2019, and $1,714 for 2020. Additionally, the applicant was indebted to a bank for $1,125 for a delinquent account that was charged off.

The allegations raised disqualifying conditions under Adjudicative Guidelines Paragraphs 19(a), 19(c), and 19(f). Despite admitting to the debts and attempting to set up a payment plan, the applicant failed to demonstrate financial responsibility.

The denial was based on the applicant's failure to take action to address the debts for several years, which raised security concerns regarding reliability and trustworthiness. The security clearance was ultimately denied.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant admitted to multiple delinquent tax debts totaling approximately $29,368.
The applicant failed to demonstrate financial responsibility and took no action to address his debts for several years.
The applicant's financial irresponsibility raised security concerns regarding his reliability and trustworthiness.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 19(a)raisedInability or Unwillingness 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

“Any doubt concerning personnel being considered for national security eligibility will be resolved in favor of the national security.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedApr 17, 2025
Answer filedMay 8, 2025
Hearing heldJan 28, 2026
Decision dateFeb 19, 2026

Cite For

Denial of Security Clearance Due to Financial Irresponsibility Under Guideline F
Failure to Demonstrate Financial Responsibility Despite Attempts to Set up Payment Plans
Impact of Financial Obligations on Security Clearance Eligibility

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 has multiple delinquent tax debts totaling approximately $29,368, which were not mitigated. The judge ruled against the applicant on all allegations under Guideline F, citing a history of financial difficulties and poor judgment.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant is indebted to the Federal government for delinquent taxes in the amount of $1,092 for tax year 2015. $1,092	Against Applicant	Tax Unpaid	Admitted	—	—	—
1.b	Applicant is indebted to the Federal government for delinquent taxes in the amount of $14,587 for tax year 2018. $14,587	Against Applicant	Tax Unpaid	Admitted	—	—	—
1.c	Applicant is indebted to the Federal government for delinquent taxes in the amount of $10,850 for tax year 2019. $10,850	Against Applicant	Tax Unpaid	Admitted	—	—	—
1.d	Applicant is indebted to the Federal government for delinquent taxes in the amount of $1,714 for tax year 2020. $1,714	Against Applicant	Tax Unpaid	Admitted	—	—	—
1.e	Applicant is indebted to a bank in the amount of $1,125 for a delinquent account that was charged off. $1,125	Against Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	—	—	—

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.