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TQ&hpΩ1D#hUי x=DF\(&K4Z%~Y@\#CڗRp:ˆY\5T+&\ zl^SuF 5o-iIb1C nI)sm\iǝUsa.OݠʘX {L( Xu?+k߬xgCi}1zW#UN % 0: Z ^ s w 4   m 0 Zh E 0D N                                                                     B HP LaserJet 400 color M451dn UPD PCL 60(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularX($USUS.,8DocumentManagement::ModifiedBooleanTRUEZJ7J:i+003|xU(Y(2Δ$ !USUS.,   XX      0  8DocumentManagement::ModifiedBooleanTRUE(#$  0   d !USUS.,  _KEYWORD:GuidelineF  DIGEST:TheAppealBoardfindsnoerrorintheJudgesdeterminationthatApplicants  handlingofthe_SOR_Ԁdebtcontinuestocastdoubtonhisjudgmentandreliability.Adverse t decisionaffirmed. ` CASENO:1402914.a1 8  DATE:04/19/2017  `    `     h      p DATE:April19,2017 $  .؉7r(#(#.AV) xdEgA   InRe:      ApplicantforSecurityClearance k AV) xdEgA C )   ) p ) \ ) H ) 4 )  p )  \ ) H  4  pX p _ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1402914 H# .؉7r. \XXp  #    APPEALBOARDDECISION $ APPEARANCES l'  &%XX FORGOVERNMENT  D!) JamesB.Norman,Esq.,ChiefDepartmentCounsel "l*  FORAPPLICANT  #,  Prose #XX%&# $-     TheDepartmentofDefense(DoD)declinedtograntApplicantasecurityclearance.On >(#1 October9,2014,DoDissuedastatementofreasons(_SOR_)advisingApplicantofthebasisforthat *)z$2 decision!securityconcernsraisedunderGuidelineF(FinancialConsiderations)ofDepartmentof *f%3 DefenseDirective5220.6(Jan.2,1992,asamended)(Directive).Applicantinitiallyrequesteda +R&4 decisiononthewrittenrecord,butlaterrequestedahearing.OnJanuary30,2017,afterthehearing, +>'5 DefenseOfficeofHearingsandAppeals(DOHA)AdministrativeJudgeElizabethM._Matchinski_ ,*(6 deniedApplicantsrequestforasecurityclearance.ApplicantappealedpursuanttoDirective -)7 E3.1.28andE3.1.30.    Applicantraisedthefollowingissueonappeal:whethertheJudgesadversedecisionwas  arbitrary,capricious,orcontrarytolaw.Consistentwiththefollowing,weaffirm. t _  TheJudgesFindingsofFact  L    A51yearoldemployeeofadefensecontractor,Applicantadmittedthatheincurredacredit $ t cardcollectiondebtofabout$19,000(SOR1.a)becauseofhisgamblingproblems.By2010,he  ` wasgamblingcompulsivelyinonlinepokergames.Heincurredabout$60,000ofcreditcarddebt  L  fromthisgambling.HeceasedgamblinginaboutMay2011,whentheFederalGovernment  8  shutdownthewiretransfersthatfacilitatedtheonlinepayments.InApril2011,hismortgagewas $  inforeclosureproceedings.Hewasabletoobtainamortgageloanmodificationandforestall   foreclosureuntilhewasabletosellthehome.Hemadepaymentstoresolveonecreditcarddebt   afterthecreditorbroughthimtocourt.In2012,hiswifelostherjob,whichnegativelyimpacted   theirfinancialcircumstances.     AfterreceiptoftheSOR,ApplicantcontactedthecreditortoresolvetheSORdebt.Hewas \ toldthatheneededtoverifythedebtandtakeresponsibility.Hefiledadisputewiththecollection H entityandrequestedverificationoftheaccount.InNovember2014,thecollectionentityadvised 4 himithadceasedcollectioneffortsinresponsetohisrequestandthatnofurtheractionwouldbe  p taken unlessanduntilvalidationisprovided.Decisionat3.Hewasalsonotifiedthat,duetothe  \ ageofthedebt,hewouldnotbesuedforit.AsofJanuary2016,hewaspayingotherdebts,but H madenoprogressinresolvingtheSORdebt. 4   Asofthehearing,ApplicanthadnotmadeanypaymentstowardtheSORdebt.Through   research,helearnedthestatehadasixyearstatuteoflimitations.Hechosenottoverifyhisliability  forrepaymentbecausehewould reobligatehimselfunderthestatuteoflimitations.Decisionat  4.ThedebtisscheduledtoageoffhiscreditreportinMarch2017.Hedoesnotbelieveheis  shirkinghisresponsibilitytothecreditor.Hetestifiedthathe paidaheavypriceforthedamageto l hiscreditreport,andthatthestatuteoflimitationsisanexampleoftheconsumerprotectionsin X  placeagainstpredatorylendingpractices,suchashighinterestratesandfees.Id. D!     TheJudgesAnalysis  h  #l!   Asofthehearing,ApplicanthadmadenopaymentsontheSORdebtanddidnotintendto $D # settleorsatisfythedebt.Hehasnotshownresponsiblebehaviorbyrefusingtopayalegitimatedebt %0!$ forwhichhecannolongerbesuedandthatwillbecomingoffhiscreditreport.Itmaybe &"% financiallyadvantageousforApplicanttoignorethedebt,butitcastsdoubtonhisjudgmentand '#& reliability. (#'     Discussion   |*%)     ApplicantcontendstheJudgeerredinconcludingsecurityconcernspersistabouthisfinancial T,'+ judgment.Indoingso,hepointsto,amongothermatters,thathehashadnodelinquenciesonhis @-(, creditreportsinceAugust2012,theSORdebtisnolongercollectable,andhehassubstantial  savings.Inherdecision,theJudgecorrectlycitedAppealBoardcasesforthepropositionsthatdebts  remainrelevantforsecurityclearancepurposeseveniftheyarenolongerenforceable(See,e.g.,  ISCRCaseNo.1502326at3(App.Bd.Oct.14,2016))andthatrelianceonastatesstatuteof t limitationsdoesnotconstituteagoodfaithefforttoresolvefinancialdifficulties(See,e.g.,ISCR ` CaseNo.1501208at3(App.Bd.Aug.26,2016)).Fromourreviewoftherecord,wefindnoerror L  intheJudgesdeterminationthatApplicantshandlingoftheSORdebtcontinuestocastdoubton 8  hisjudgmentandreliability. $ t Ѐ  ApplicantpresentsotherargumentsclaimingtheevidencedoesnotsupporttheJudges  L  unfavorableclearancedecision.Forexample,hecitestotherebeingnoevidencethathecurrently  8  hasagamblingproblem,thathehasnotattemptedtoconcealderogatoryinformation,thathe $  establishedhewasfinanciallysound,andthathehasheldasecurityclearancefor27yearswithout   asecurityviolation.TheseargumentsamounttoadisagreementwiththeJudgesweighingofthe   evidenceandarenotsufficienttoshowtheJudgeweighedtheevidenceinamannerthatwas   arbitrary,capricious,orcontrarytolaw.See,e.g.,ISCRCaseNo.1406440at4(App.Bd.Jan.8,   2016). p   Applicanthasnotidentifiedanyharmfulerrorlikelytochangetheoutcomeofthecase.The H Judgeexaminedtherelevantevidenceandarticulatedasatisfactoryexplanationforthedecision. 4  Thegeneralstandardisthataclearancemaybegrantedonlywhenclearlyconsistentwiththe  p interestsofthenationalsecurity.DepartmentoftheNavyv.Egan,484U.S.518,528(1988).See  \ alsoDirective,Enclosure22(b): Anydoubtconcerningpersonnelbeingconsideredforaccess H toclassifiedinformationwillberesolvedinfavorofthenationalsecurity.Thedecisionis 4 sustainableonthisrecord.      `     h      p     @( Order   @*  TheDecisionis AFFIRMED .     `     h   Signed:MichaelRaanan H!    `     h   MichaelRaanan 4"     `     h   AdministrativeJudge  #p!    `     h   Chairperson,AppealBoard  $\"    `     h   Signed:WilliamS.Fields & "%    `     h   WilliamS.Fields ' #&    `     h   AdministrativeJudge (#'    `     h   Member,AppealBoard )$(    `       `     h   Signed:JamesF.Duffy D-(,    `     h   JamesF.Duffy     `     h   AdministrativeJudge     `     h   Member,AppealBoard