Summary
The applicant, a 37-year-old single mother, faced financial difficulties due to delinquent debts including credit cards and medical bills, totaling over $15,000. Despite these challenges, she demonstrated a commitment to resolving her debts by making timely payments on her student loans since 2013 and settling some credit card debts before the security clearance issue arose. The judge granted her security clearance, finding that her financial issues were largely resolved and did not reflect poor judgment or reliability.
Under Guideline F (Financial Considerations), the Statement of Reasons alleged the following: credit card collection debts of $919 (1.a). charged-off credit card debt of $697 (1.b). credit card collection debts of $599 (1.i). credit card collection debts of $472 (1.j). four student loans in collection totaling $17,125 (1.e). 23 unidentified medical debts in collection totaling $1,356 (1.k).
The judge granted the clearance. The government raised disqualifying conditions AG ¶ 19(a), AG ¶ 19(c). The judge applied mitigating conditions AG ¶ 20(a), AG ¶ 20(b), AG ¶ 20(c), AG ¶ 20(d). The decision turned on the following: The applicant made timely payments on her student loans since 2013; She resolved two past-due credit card debts before they became an issue for her security clearance; She initiated good-faith efforts to repay overdue creditors after the hearing.
Why the Applicant Prevailed
- The applicant made timely payments on her student loans since 2013.
- She resolved two past-due credit card debts before they became an issue for her security clearance.
- She initiated good-faith efforts to repay overdue creditors after the hearing.
Conditions Referenced
- AG ¶ 19(a)raisedInability or Unwillingness to Satisfy Debts
- AG ¶ 19(c)raisedA History of Not Meeting Financial Obligations
- AG ¶ 20(a)appliedThe Behavior Happened so Long Ago, Was so Infrequent, or Occurred Under Such Circumstances That It Is Unlikely to Recur and Does Not Cast Doubt on the Individual’s Current Reliability, Trustworthiness, or Good Judgment
- AG ¶ 20(b)appliedThe Conditions That Resulted in the Financial Problem Were Largely Beyond the Person’s Control
- AG ¶ 20(c)appliedThe Person Has Received or Is Receiving Counseling for the Problem And/or There Are Clear Indications That the Problem Is Being Resolved or Is Under Control
- AG ¶ 20(d)appliedThe Individual Initiated a Good-faith Effort to Repay Overdue Creditors or Otherwise Resolve Debts
Key Rule Quoted
“The protection of the national security is the paramount consideration.”
Procedural Posture
- SOR issuedSep 23, 2015
- Answer filedNov 5, 2015
- Hearing heldJun 14, 2016Hearing convened as scheduled.
- Decision dateJan 27, 2017
Cite For
- Mitigation of Financial Issues Under Guideline F
- Good-faith Efforts to Resolve Debts
- Impact of Personal Circumstances on Financial Reliability