Summary
A 53-year-old information assurance analyst with military service was denied a security clearance due to concerns under Guideline E (Personal Conduct) and Guideline F (Financial Considerations). The denial stemmed from unresolved debts and a lack of candor in his security clearance application.
Specifically, the applicant co-signed an automobile loan for his daughter that was charged off for $12,894 in March 2014, which he did not consider his personal responsibility. He also had a $675 medical debt, paid in February 2017 after discovery in October 2016, and a $128 book club debt for which he lacked payment documentation. The applicant falsified information on his application regarding both his debts and employment history. While he admitted to an isolated security violation involving a personal device, this was not a primary factor in the denial.
The judge determined that the applicant's financial irresponsibility, particularly his unwillingness to satisfy the automobile loan, and his intentional omissions and false statements on his application, raised significant doubts about his reliability and trustworthiness. These issues led to the denial of his security clearance.
Why the Applicant Was Denied
- The applicant demonstrated an unwillingness to satisfy debts, particularly the automobile loan co-signed for his daughter, which he did not consider his personal responsibility.
- The applicant's admissions and lack of documentary evidence to support claims of debt resolution established a history of not meeting financial obligations.
- The applicant's lack of candor in his security clearance application, including false statements regarding his employment history, raised questions about his reliability.
Conditions Referenced
- AG ¶ 19(b)raisedUnwillingness to Satisfy Debts
- AG ¶ 19(c)raisedHistory of Not Meeting Financial Obligations
- AG ¶ 16(a)appliedDeliberate Omission, Concealment, or Falsification of Relevant Facts
- AG ¶ 16(c)appliedCredible Adverse Information in Several Adjudicative Issue Areas
- AG ¶ 20(d)appliedGood-faith Effort to Repay Overdue Creditors
- AG ¶ 20(a)rejectedBehavior Happened Long Ago or InfrequentlyThe applicant's delinquent debts are recent and numerous.
- AG ¶ 20(b)rejectedConditions Beyond the Person's ControlThe applicant did not act responsibly regarding his co-signed debt.
- AG ¶ 17(a)rejectedPrompt, Good-faith Efforts to Correct OmissionsThe applicant did not admit to the debt until confronted with evidence.
- AG ¶ 17(c)rejectedMinor Offense or Unlikely to RecurThe applicant's falsifications were not minor and did not occur under unusual circumstances.
Key Rule Quoted
“An applicant who deliberately fails to give full, frank, and candid answers to the government in connection with a security clearance investigation or adjudication interferes with the integrity of the industrial security program.”
Procedural Posture
- SOR issuedJul 28, 2017
- Answer filedAug 18, 2017
- Hearing heldMay 16, 2018
- Decision dateJun 22, 2018
Cite For
- Unwillingness to Satisfy Debts Under Guideline F
- Lack of Candor in Security Clearance Applications Under Guideline E
- Impact of Financial Irresponsibility on Security Clearance Eligibility