Summary
A 58-year-old male applicant was denied a security clearance under Guideline F (Financial Considerations) due to a history of significant delinquent debts. The Statement of Reasons detailed numerous outstanding financial obligations, including a state tax lien from 2010 for $1,064, multiple collection accounts totaling $807, $1,375, and $1,171, and a student loan in collection for $58,883 that dated back to 1980.
Additional debts included credit card balances of $398 and $444, a cable bill for $1,061, a 2015 ambulance service debt for his wife, a judgment for $3,690, and two other debts now held by the same collection agency, one for $714. These issues raised disqualifying conditions under Adjudicative Guidelines ¶ 19(a), ¶ 19(b), and ¶ 19(c).
While the applicant attributed his financial difficulties to unemployment and medical expenses, the judge found insufficient evidence of responsible action to mitigate these concerns. Despite the application of mitigating conditions under Adjudicative Guidelines ¶ 20(b) and ¶ 20(d), the clearance was denied because the applicant had numerous long-unpaid or unresolved debts and failed to take meaningful action to address them. The evidence did not sufficiently demonstrate that his behavior was unlikely to recur or that it did not cast doubt on his current reliability, trustworthiness, and good judgment.
Why the applicant was denied
- Applicant has numerous delinquent debts that have been unpaid or unresolved for many years.
- Applicant failed to take meaningful action to address his debts despite being aware of the security concerns.
- The evidence is insufficient to conclude that his behavior is unlikely to recur and does not cast doubt on his current reliability, trustworthiness, and good judgment.
Conditions referenced
- 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 ¶ 20(b)appliedConditions That Resulted in the Financial Problem Were Largely Beyond the Person's ControlApplicant attributed his financial problems to unemployment and medical expenses, but did not act responsibly under the circumstances.
- AG ¶ 20(d)rejectedGood-faith Effort to Repay Overdue CreditorsApplicant only recently started a payment plan after years of delinquency.
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 30, 2017
- Answer filedJun 8, 2017
- Hearing heldSep 22, 2017
- Decision dateNov 2, 2017
Cite for
- Failure to Mitigate Financial Concerns Under Guideline F
- Impact of Long-term Delinquent Debts on Security Clearance Eligibility
- Consideration of the Whole-person Concept in Financial Evaluations