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ISCR Case ISCR Case No. 23-01418 · CASE

ISCR Case ISCR Case No. 23-01418granted

Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. ISCR Case No. 23-01418

grantedOct 30, 2024· Hon. Jennifer I. Goldstein· hearing

Synopsis

The applicant, a 63-year-old government contractor employee, faced allegations of financial delinquencies exceeding $34,000 under Guideline F. The judge found that the applicant's financial issues stemmed from unique circumstances, including taking custody of his grandchild, and that he had made significant efforts to address his debts. Ultimately, the applicant was granted eligibility for a security clearance.

Why the Applicant Prevailed

The applicant's financial issues were largely due to circumstances beyond his control, including taking custody of his grandchild.
The applicant demonstrated a good-faith effort to address his debts, including establishing a debt-relief plan and making payments toward resolving some debts.
The applicant's financial situation does not cast doubt on his current reliability, trustworthiness, or judgment.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 19(a)raisedInability to Satisfy Debts
AG ¶ 19(c)raisedHistory of Not Meeting Financial Obligations

Mitigating

AG ¶ 20(a)appliedBehavior Occurred Under Circumstances Unlikely to Recur
AG ¶ 20(b)appliedConditions Largely Beyond the Person's Control
AG ¶ 20(d)appliedGood-faith Effort to Repay Debts

Key Rule Quoted

“A security clearance adjudication is an evaluation of an individual's judgment, reliability, and trustworthiness. It is not a debt-collection procedure.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedAug 1, 2023
Answer filedAug 30, 2023
Hearing heldOct 21, 2024
Decision dateOct 30, 2024

Cite For

Mitigating Conditions Under Guideline F Due to Unique Personal Circumstances
Good-faith Efforts to Resolve Financial Issues
Evaluation of Judgment and Reliability in Security Clearance Determinations

Editorial summary generated for research. Not legal advice; not a prediction. Verify against the full decision before relying on any quoted language.

Standardized Decision Profile

SEAD-4 Guideline F · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: Decision on RecordDecided: granted

The judge found that the applicant's financial issues stemmed from unique circumstances beyond his control, including taking care of his grandchild, which led to a series of delinquencies. The applicant demonstrated a good-faith effort to address his debts and was granted eligibility for a security clearance under Guideline F.

1.a Applicant was indebted on a charged-off account in the amount of $18,118.
$18,118
Finding: For Applicant
Type: Auto Loan Debt
Response: Admitted
Disqualifying (¶19):
(a) inability to satisfy debts
(c) a history of not meeting financial obligations
Mitigating applied (¶20):
(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly
(d) good-faith effort to repay or otherwise resolve debts
Mitigation:
Documented
Debt Paid in Full
1.b Applicant was indebted on a collection account in the amount of $3,318.
$3,318
Finding: For Applicant
Type: Unspecified Financial
Response: Admitted
Disqualifying (¶19):
(a) inability to satisfy debts
(c) a history of not meeting financial obligations
Mitigating applied (¶20):
(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly
(d) good-faith effort to repay or otherwise resolve debts
Mitigation:
Documented
Payment Plan with Creditor
1.c Applicant was indebted on a collection account in the amount of $2,536.
$2,536
Finding: For Applicant
Type: Unspecified Financial
Response: Admitted
Disqualifying (¶19):
(a) inability to satisfy debts
(c) a history of not meeting financial obligations
Mitigating applied (¶20): —
Mitigation: —
1.d Applicant was indebted on a collection account in the amount of $719.
$719
Finding: For Applicant
Type: Utility or Phone Debt
Response: Admitted
Disqualifying (¶19):
(a) inability to satisfy debts
(c) a history of not meeting financial obligations
Mitigating applied (¶20):
(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly
(d) good-faith effort to repay or otherwise resolve debts
Mitigation:
Documented
Debt Paid in Full
1.e Applicant was indebted on a charged-off account in the amount of $545.
$545
Finding: For Applicant
Type: Credit Card Debt
Response: Admitted
Disqualifying (¶19):
(a) inability to satisfy debts
(c) a history of not meeting financial obligations
Mitigating applied (¶20):
(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly
(d) good-faith effort to repay or otherwise resolve debts
Mitigation:
Documented
Debt Paid in Full
1.f Applicant was indebted on a collection account in the amount of $519.
$519
Finding: For Applicant
Type: Unspecified Financial
Response: Admitted
Disqualifying (¶19):
(a) inability to satisfy debts
(c) a history of not meeting financial obligations
Mitigating applied (¶20):
(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly
(d) good-faith effort to repay or otherwise resolve debts
Mitigation:
Documented
Payment Plan with Creditor
1.g Applicant was indebted on a collection account in the amount of $418.
$418
Finding: For Applicant
Type: Credit Card Debt
Response: Admitted
Disqualifying (¶19):
(a) inability to satisfy debts
(c) a history of not meeting financial obligations
Mitigating applied (¶20): —
Mitigation: —
1.h Applicant was indebted on a charged-off account in the amount of $8,194.
$8,194
Finding: For Applicant
Type: Auto Loan Debt
Response: Admitted
Disqualifying (¶19):
(a) inability to satisfy debts
(c) a history of not meeting financial obligations
Mitigating applied (¶20):
(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly
(d) good-faith effort to repay or otherwise resolve debts
Mitigation:
Documented
Payment Plan with Creditor
1.i Applicant was indebted on an automobile loan in the amount of $341.
$341
Finding: For Applicant
Type: Auto Loan Debt
Response: Admitted
Disqualifying (¶19):
(a) inability to satisfy debts
(c) a history of not meeting financial obligations
Mitigating applied (¶20): —
Mitigation: —

¶	Allegation	Finding	Type	Response	Disqualifying (¶19)	Mitigating applied (¶20)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant was indebted on a charged-off account in the amount of $18,118. $18,118	For Applicant	Auto Loan Debt	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly (d) good-faith effort to repay or otherwise resolve debts	Documented Debt Paid in Full
1.b	Applicant was indebted on a collection account in the amount of $3,318. $3,318	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly (d) good-faith effort to repay or otherwise resolve debts	Documented Payment Plan with Creditor
1.c	Applicant was indebted on a collection account in the amount of $2,536. $2,536	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	—
1.d	Applicant was indebted on a collection account in the amount of $719. $719	For Applicant	Utility or Phone Debt	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly (d) good-faith effort to repay or otherwise resolve debts	Documented Debt Paid in Full
1.e	Applicant was indebted on a charged-off account in the amount of $545. $545	For Applicant	Credit Card Debt	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly (d) good-faith effort to repay or otherwise resolve debts	Documented Debt Paid in Full
1.f	Applicant was indebted on a collection account in the amount of $519. $519	For Applicant	Unspecified Financial	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly (d) good-faith effort to repay or otherwise resolve debts	Documented Payment Plan with Creditor
1.g	Applicant was indebted on a collection account in the amount of $418. $418	For Applicant	Credit Card Debt	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	—
1.h	Applicant was indebted on a charged-off account in the amount of $8,194. $8,194	For Applicant	Auto Loan Debt	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	(b) conditions largely beyond the person’s control; acted responsibly (d) good-faith effort to repay or otherwise resolve debts	Documented Payment Plan with Creditor
1.i	Applicant was indebted on an automobile loan in the amount of $341. $341	For Applicant	Auto Loan Debt	Admitted	(a) inability to satisfy debts (c) a history of not meeting financial obligations	—	—

Descriptive standardized rendering of a decided public case (Guideline F). The verbatim source decision is shown in full below.

Full decision

The complete, official text, footnotes and signatures included, is in the original PDF.

Decision text, by section

DEFENSE OFFICE OF HEARINGS AND APPEALS

HEARING

APPEARANCES

For Applicant Conclusion In light of all of the circumstances presented by the record in this case, it is clearly consistent with the national interest to grant Applicant eligibility for a security clearance. Eligibility for access to classified information is granted. Jennifer I. Goldstein Administrative Judge 7