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ISCR Case 25-00589 — CASE

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ISCR Case 25-00589

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

Case Profile
Decision Date3/5/2026
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: John Bayard Glendon
Government Counsel: Andrew H. Henderson
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 55-year-old individual who sought a security clearance after being hired by a Department of Defense contractor. The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Guideline F, which pertains to financial considerations. The SOR detailed 22 allegations of delinquent debts and a Chapter 13 bankruptcy discharge, with the applicant admitting to 12 allegations and denying 10.
During the proceedings, the applicant provided explanations for her financial difficulties, which included a history of low income as a part-time school bus driver and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on her employment. She claimed that her financial situation had stabilized since obtaining full-time employment in May 2024. However, the administrative judge found that the applicant did not provide sufficient evidence to mitigate the financial concerns, as many debts remained unresolved, and she lacked a concrete plan to address them. The judge noted that while the applicant had made efforts to dispute some debts, she did not demonstrate a consistent pattern of resolving her financial issues.
Ultimately, the administrative judge ruled against the applicant, denying her eligibility for access to classified information. The decision emphasized that the applicant's financial problems posed a continuing concern that had not been adequately addressed, leading to the conclusion that she did not meet the necessary standards for a security clearance.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline FFinancial Considerations · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 25-00589

deniedMar 5, 2026· Hon. John Bayard Glendon· hearing

Summary

The applicant, a 55-year-old former school bus driver, faced security clearance denial under Guideline F due to unresolved financial issues, including multiple delinquent debts and a history of financial mismanagement. Despite her claims of improved financial stability and efforts to dispute debts, the judge found insufficient evidence of mitigation or a solid plan for debt resolution, leading to concerns about her reliability and trustworthiness.

Under Guideline F (Financial Considerations), the Statement of Reasons alleged the following: Auto Loan – Repossession with Balance Due of $17,606 (1.a). Student Loan - $3,384 (1.d). Charged-Off, Credit-Card Account - $3,377 (1.e). Student Loan - $1,106 (1.m). Charged-Off, Credit-Card Account - $1,051 (1.n). Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Proceeding – Filed February 12, 1998, Discharged September 24, 2001 (1.v).

The judge denied the clearance. The government raised disqualifying conditions AG ¶ 19(a), AG ¶ 19(c). The decision turned on the following: The applicant failed to provide sufficient evidence of mitigation regarding her financial issues; The applicant's financial difficulties raised significant concerns about her reliability and trustworthiness for access to classified information; The applicant did not demonstrate a good-faith effort to repay overdue creditors or resolve her debts.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant failed to provide sufficient evidence of mitigation regarding her financial issues.
The applicant's financial difficulties raised significant concerns about her reliability and trustworthiness for access to classified information.
The applicant did not demonstrate a good-faith effort to repay overdue creditors or resolve her debts.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

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

Key Rule Quoted

“Failure to live within one’s means, satisfy debts, and meet financial obligations may indicate poor self-control, lack of judgment, or unwillingness to abide by rules and regulations, all of which can raise questions about an individual’s reliability, trustworthiness, and ability to protect classified or sensitive information.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedMay 9, 2025
Answer filedMay 18, 2025
Hearing heldSep 3, 2025by video teleconference
Decision dateMar 5, 2026

Cite For

Insufficient Evidence of Financial Mitigation Under Guideline F
Concerns Regarding Reliability and Trustworthiness Due to Financial Mismanagement
Failure to Demonstrate a Good-faith Effort to Resolve Debts

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 several auto loans in repossession, medical debt, and charged-off credit card accounts. Ultimately, the judge ruled against the applicant on most allegations, citing unresolved debts and insufficient evidence of mitigation, while finding favor on two student loans and a past bankruptcy discharge.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Auto Loan – Repossession with Balance Due of $17,606. $17,606	Against Applicant	Auto Loan Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.d	Student Loan - $3,384. $3,384	For Applicant	Student Loan Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.e	Charged-Off, Credit-Card Account - $3,377. $3,377	Against Applicant	Credit Card Debt	Denied	—	—	—
1.m	Student Loan - $1,106. $1,106	For Applicant	Student Loan Debt	Admitted	—	—	—
1.n	Charged-Off, Credit-Card Account - $1,051. $1,051	Against Applicant	Credit Card Debt	Denied	—	—	—
1.v	Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Proceeding – Filed February 12, 1998, Discharged September 24, 2001.	For Applicant	Bankruptcy Filing	Unknown	—	—	—

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.