Summary
A 37-year-old defense contractor employee was denied a security clearance due to concerns under Guideline E (Personal Conduct) and Guideline F (Financial Considerations). The applicant had a 2011 shoplifting conviction and multiple unresolved debts totaling $9,225. While the shoplifting incident was mitigated, the financial issues were not.
The applicant's financial concerns included six past-due or delinquent debts. One debt, originally a personal loan of about $500, resulted in a civil judgment for $1,368. Another was an unpaid medical bill for which her pay is being garnished. Additionally, the applicant had delinquent cable television and internet accounts, and a car was repossessed in 2009 after she missed two payments due to mechanical problems and an inability to maintain loan payments.
The denial was primarily based on the applicant's failure to mitigate her financial problems. She acknowledged overspending and did not provide a structured budget to manage her finances. Furthermore, she did not use significant tax refunds to address her outstanding debts.
Why the Applicant Was Denied
- The applicant did not mitigate the security concerns related to her financial problems, which included multiple past-due debts totaling $9,225.
- The applicant acknowledged overspending and failed to provide a structured budget to manage her finances.
- Despite receiving significant tax refunds, the applicant did not use the funds to address her debts.
Conditions Referenced
- AG ¶ 19(a)raisedInability or Unwillingness to Satisfy Debts
- AG ¶ 19(c)raisedA History of Not Meeting Financial Obligations
- AG ¶ 20(b)appliedConditions That Resulted in the Financial Problem Were Largely Beyond the Person's ControlThe repossession debt was due to unexpected mechanical problems with the car.
- AG ¶ 17(c)appliedThe Offense Is so Minor, or so Much Time Has Passed, or the Behavior Is so InfrequentThe shoplifting incident occurred four years ago and was the only such event in the applicant's background.
Key Rule Quoted
“A security clearance decision is intended only to resolve whether it is clearly consistent with the national interest for an applicant to either receive or continue to have access to classified information.”
Procedural Posture
- SOR issuedJul 21, 2014
- Answer filed—
- Hearing heldMar 19, 2015via video teleconference
- Decision dateMay 13, 2015
Cite For
- Denial of Security Clearance Due to Unresolved Financial Obligations Under Guideline F
- Mitigation of Personal Conduct Concerns Under Guideline E Due to the Passage of Time and Lack of Further Incidents
- Consideration of the Whole-person Concept in Security Clearance Determinations.