Summary
A 58-year-old defense contractor employee was denied a security clearance due to financial considerations under Guideline F. The Statement of Reasons cited her failure to timely file federal income tax returns for the years 2007 through 2011, along with 11 delinquent debts totaling approximately $17,000. These issues raised concerns regarding her reliability and trustworthiness for a position of trust.
While several mitigating conditions were considered, the applicant ultimately failed to demonstrate sufficient efforts to resolve her financial difficulties. Specifically, she did not provide proof of payments or repayment arrangements for her delinquent debts.
Furthermore, no evidence of financial counseling or other concrete actions taken to address her financial issues was presented. The ongoing nature and significance of the delinquent debts led to the denial of her eligibility for a security clearance.
Why the Applicant Was Denied
- Applicant failed to provide proof of payments or repayment arrangements for delinquent debts.
- No evidence of financial counseling or actions taken to resolve financial issues was presented.
- Ongoing significant delinquent debts raised doubts about the applicant's reliability and trustworthiness.
Conditions Referenced
- AG ¶ 19(a)appliedInability or Unwillingness to Satisfy Debts
- AG ¶ 19(c)appliedA History of Not Meeting Financial Obligations
- AG ¶ 19(g)appliedFailure to File Annual Federal, State, or Local Income Tax Returns as Required
- AG ¶ 20(b)appliedConditions That Resulted in the Financial Problem Were Largely Beyond the Person’s ControlApplicant's financial issues were partly due to an IRS error and unemployment.
- AG ¶ 20(a)rejectedBehavior Happened so Long Ago, Was so Infrequent, or Occurred Under Such Circumstances That It Is Unlikely to Recur
- AG ¶ 20(c)rejectedThe 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)rejectedThe Individual Initiated a Good-faith Effort to Repay Overdue Creditors or Otherwise Resolve Debts
- AG ¶ 20(e)rejectedThe Individual Has a Reasonable Basis to Dispute the Legitimacy of the Past-due Debt
Key Rule Quoted
“Any doubt concerning personnel being considered for access to [sensitive] information will be resolved in favor of national security.”
Procedural Posture
- SOR issuedMar 14, 2015
- Answer filedApr 10, 2015Applicant elected to have the case decided on the written record.
- Hearing held—No hearing; case decided on the written record.
- Decision dateNov 21, 2015
Cite For
- Failure to Mitigate Financial Considerations Under Guideline F
- Impact of Unresolved Delinquent Debts on Trustworthiness
- Consideration of Conditions Beyond Control in Financial Cases