Summary
A 31-year-old defense contractor employee and single mother of two was denied a security clearance under Guideline F, Financial Considerations. The denial stemmed from over $11,400 in delinquent debts, which raised concerns about her reliability and trustworthiness.
The applicant admitted to 12 delinquent debts totaling $7,044 but denied an additional seven debts amounting to $4,402 without providing substantiating evidence. The judge noted a lack of effort to resolve these debts and an absence of evidence demonstrating good character, trustworthiness, or judgment to mitigate the financial concerns.
Ultimately, the judge found that the applicant's financial irresponsibility and failure to mitigate the issues presented disqualifying conditions under Adjudicative Guidelines ¶ 19(a) and ¶ 19(c). While mitigating conditions under ¶ 20(a), ¶ 20(b), ¶ 20(c), and ¶ 20(d) were considered, they were not sufficient to overcome the concerns, leading to the denial of her security clearance.
Why the Applicant Was Denied
- Applicant admitted to owing 12 delinquent debts totaling $7,044 and denied an additional 7 debts totaling $4,402 without substantiating evidence.
- The applicant provided no evidence of good character, trustworthiness, or judgment for consideration in mitigation.
- The applicant demonstrated no effort to resolve her delinquent debts, raising concerns about her reliability and trustworthiness.
Conditions Referenced
- AG ¶ 19(a)raisedInability or Unwillingness to Satisfy Debts
- AG ¶ 19(c)raisedHistory of Not Meeting Financial Obligations
- AG ¶ 20(a)rejectedBehavior Happened so Long Ago, Was Infrequent, or Occurred Under Circumstances Unlikely to RecurApplicant's financial issues have been ongoing since at least 1999.
- AG ¶ 20(b)rejectedConditions That Resulted in Financial Problems Were Largely Beyond the Person's ControlDelinquencies arose regularly, with no evidence of responsible action to address them.
- AG ¶ 20(c)rejectedReceived or Receiving Counseling for the ProblemApplicant provided no evidence of counseling or resolution of debts.
- AG ¶ 20(d)rejectedInitiated a Good-faith Effort to Repay Overdue CreditorsApplicant made minimal effort to address her debts.
Key Rule Quoted
“Failure or inability 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 information.”
Procedural Posture
- SOR issuedOct 28, 2007
- Answer filedDec 17, 2007
- Hearing held—Applicant requested a decision on the written record.
- Decision dateApr 25, 2008
Cite For
- Denial of Security Clearance Due to Significant Financial Delinquencies Under Guideline F
- Lack of Mitigating Evidence for Ongoing Financial Irresponsibility
- Importance of Demonstrating Good Character and Trustworthiness in Security Clearance Evaluations