Summary
A 56-year-old federal contractor employee was denied a security clearance due to concerns under Guideline E (Personal Conduct) and Guideline F (Financial Considerations). The applicant failed to file his 2010 Federal income tax return and incurred an unresolved tax lien for $43,154. These financial issues were cited as disqualifying conditions under Guideline F.
Additionally, the applicant intentionally omitted this tax debt and the failure to file the tax return when completing his e-QIP on September 6, 2013. This falsification of the e-QIP raised concerns under Guideline E, specifically regarding a lack of candor and reliability.
Despite the application of several mitigating conditions under both guidelines, the judge determined that the applicant did not provide credible evidence to resolve the security concerns. Consequently, the security clearance was denied.
Why the Applicant Was Denied
- The applicant failed to file his 2010 Federal income tax return and did not resolve a tax lien of $43,154.
- The applicant falsified his e-QIP by omitting relevant financial information, demonstrating a lack of candor and reliability.
Conditions Referenced
- F.19(a)raisedInability or Unwillingness to Satisfy Debts
- F.19(g)raisedFailure to File Annual Federal, State or Local Income Tax Returns as Required or Fraudulent Filing of the Same
- E.16(a)raisedDeliberate Omission, Concealment, or Falsification of Relevant Facts
- F.20(a)rejectedBehavior Happened so Long Ago, Was Infrequent, or Occurred Under Circumstances Unlikely to Recur
- F.20(b)rejectedConditions That Resulted in Financial Problems Were Largely Beyond the Person's Control
- F.20(c)rejectedReceived or Receiving Counseling for the Problem
- F.20(d)rejectedInitiated a Good-faith Effort to Repay Overdue Creditors
- F.20(e)rejectedReasonable Basis to Dispute the Legitimacy of the Past-due Debt
- E.17(a)rejectedPrompt, Good-faith Efforts to Correct the Omission
- E.17(c)rejectedOffense Is Minor or Unlikely to Recur
- E.17(d)rejectedAcknowledged Behavior and Obtained Counseling
- E.17(e)rejectedTaken Positive Steps to Reduce Vulnerability to Exploitation
Key Rule Quoted
“Any doubt concerning personnel being considered for access to classified information will be resolved in favor of national security.”
Procedural Posture
- SOR issuedMar 13, 2014
- Answer filedApr 14, 2014
- Hearing heldJun 17, 2014via video teleconference
- Decision dateJul 8, 2014
Cite For
- Failure to Mitigate Financial Obligations Under Guideline F
- Falsification of Information on E-qip Under Guideline E
- Importance of Providing Credible Evidence to Support Claims in Security Clearance Cases