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Definitely.[Judge]:Theywere?Okay.Well,ifyougetthem!as[DepartmentCounsel]said!submitthemtohim. t X`X $Ԁ# $XX`# d !USUS.,  _KEYWORD:GuidelineF  DIGEST:AJudgehasnoauthoritytopromiseanapplicantaclearanceortoadviseanapplicant  onthequantumofevidencethatwouldmitigatetheconcernsinhisorhercase.Adversedecision t affirmed. ` _CASENO_:1600420.a1 8  DATE:08/07/2017  ` ________________________   `     h      p DATE:August7,2017  L  .؉7r(#(#.AYS) xdEgA   InRe:        k ApplicantforSecurityClearance C AYS) xdEgA k )   )   )   ) p ) \ ) H ) 4 )  p   \ pX p _ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1600420 p!  \" .؉7r. \XXp 4"    APPEALBOARDDECISION  # APPEARANCES &  &%XX FORGOVERNMENT  l( JamesB.Norman,Esq.,ChiefDepartmentCounsel D )  FORAPPLICANT  !D+  Prose #X`X%&k# ",     TheDepartmentofDefense(DoD)declinedtograntApplicantasecurityclearance.OnJune >(#2 3,2016,DoDissuedastatementofreasons(_SOR_)advisingApplicantofthebasisforthat *)z$3 decision!securityconcernsraisedunderGuidelineF(FinancialConsiderations)ofDepartmentof *f%4 DefenseDirective5220.6(Jan.2,1992,asamended)(Directive).Applicantrequestedahearing. +R&5 OnMay22,2017,afterthehearing,DefenseOfficeofHearingsandAppeals(DOHA) +>'6 AdministrativeJudgeMartinH.MoguldeniedApplicantsrequestforasecurityclearance. ,*(7 ApplicantappealedpursuanttoDirectiveE3.1.28andE3.1.30. -)8 Ї  Applicantraisedthefollowingissueonappeal:whethertheJudgesadversedecisionwas  arbitrary,capricious,orcontrarytolaw.    TheJudgesFindingsofFact  `   Applicants_SOR_Ԁlistsseveraldelinquentdebts,formortgageaccounts,creditcards,etc. 8  Applicantownedseveralpiecesofrealestate.Duetotheeconomicdownturnin2008,hewasnot $ t abletomakehismortgagepayments.Ultimatelyhestoppedpayingonthepropertiesandtheywent  ` intoforeclosure.HepresentedForm1099Asshowingthatthepropertieshadbeenforeclosed,but  L  thesedocumentsdidnotestablishthatanyresultingtaxobligationshadbeensatisfied.TheJudge  8  statedthat thepurchaseandultimateforeclosureofeachpropertymustalsobeconsideredadversely $  astoApplicantsoverallfinancialacumenandresponsibility.Decisionat3.Applicantalsohad   significantcreditcarddebtthathefailedtopay.Hedidnotprovideevidencethatthesedebtshad   beensatisfactorilyresolved.Applicanthiredalawyertoassisthiminaddressinghisfinancial   problems.Hediscoveredthatthispersonwasnotprovidingadequaterepresentation,sohe   terminatedtherelationship. p   TheJudgesAnalysis  H   TheJudgenotedevidencethatApplicantsfinancialproblemsresultedfromtherecent  p economicdownturn,whichwasacircumstancebeyondhiscontrol.However,afterdiscoveringthat  \ theattorneywasnotfulfillinghisprofessionalobligations,Applicantdidnotundertakeresponsible H actiontoresolvehisdebtshimself.TheJudgestatedthatsomedebtsinsignificantamountsarestill 4 outstandingandthatApplicanthasnotshownthathisfinancialstatusisstableandclear.     Discussion     ApplicantcontendsthathesubmittedtheForm1099AsattheJudgessuggestion,yetthe  Judgemadeanadversedecisionanyway.Applicantarguesthatifthesedocumentswerenot l sufficienttomitigatetheconcernsinhiscase,theJudgeshouldnothaverecommendedthathe X  providethem.HealsostatesthatthereisotherevidencethathecouldhaveprovidediftheJudge D! hadadvisedhimtodoso. 0"    ItgoeswithoutsayingthataJudgehasnoauthoritytopromiseanapplicantaclearanceor $X" toadviseanapplicantonthequantumofevidencethatwouldmitigatetheconcernsinhisorher $D # case.See,e.g.,_ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1402806at3,n.1(App.Bd.Sep.9,2015);_ISCR_ԀCaseNo.0906602 %0!$ at2(App.Bd.Jan.28,2011).Amongotherthings,aJudgecannotconcludethatevidenceis &"% relevantandassignweighttothatevidencebeforeheorshehasseenit.Inaddition,aJudgehasno '#& authoritytoserveasaninvestigatorinacase,whichwouldbeinconsistentwithhisorherroleasan (#' independentfactfinder.See,e.g.,_ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1403062at3(App.Bd.Sep.11,2015).Inthis )$( case,wefindnoreasontoconcludethattheJudgedidso.DuringthecourseofApplicants |*%) presentation,theJudgeandDepartmentCounselinquiredaboutevidencethatmightcorroborate h+&* someofApplicantstestimony.Forexample,DepartmentCounselstatedduringcrossexamination T,'+ thatForm1099AsweredocumentsthatApplicantwouldwanttopresent.Tr.at65.Later,the @-(, JudgeaskedApplicantifhehadpaidtaxesonanydebtsthathadbeenforgiven,andApplicant  repliedthathehad.TheJudgeadvisedhimthathecouldprovidedocumentaryproofofthisalong  withotherevidencethatheintendedtosubmitposthearing.Tr.at7071.V #  1      ׀TheJudgedidnot  promisetoApplicantthatifheprovidedanysuchdocumentshewouldobtainafavorabledecision. t WeresolvethisissueadverselytoApplicant.Beyondthis,Applicantsargumentamountsto ` disagreementwiththeJudgesweighingoftheevidence,whichisnotenoughtoshowthattheJudge L  weighedtheevidenceinamannerthatwasarbitrary,capricious,orcontrarytolaw.See,e.g.,_ISCR_ 8  CaseNo.1508842at3(App.Bd.Feb.14,2017). $ t   TheJudgeexaminedtherelevantevidenceandarticulatedasatisfactoryexplanationforthe  L  decision.Thedecisionissustainableonthisrecord. Thegeneralstandardisthataclearancemay  8  begrantedonlywhenclearlyconsistentwiththeinterestsofthenationalsecurity.Department $  oftheNavyv.Egan,484U.S.518,528(1988).SeealsoDirective,Encl.2,App.A2(b): Any   doubtconcerningpersonnelbeingconsideredforaccesstoclassifiedinformationwillberesolved   infavorofthenationalsecurity.   @( Order  (#'  )$(   TheDecisionis AFFIRMED .     `     h   Signed:Michael_Raanan_Ԁ d    `     h   Michael_Raanan_ P     `     h   AdministrativeJudge <     `     h   Chairperson,AppealBoard ( x    `     h   Signed:JamesE.Moody (     `     h   JamesE.Moody      `     h   AdministrativeJudge      `     h   Member,AppealBoard      `     h   Signed:WilliamS.Fields L    `     h   WilliamS.Fields 8    `     h   AdministrativeJudge $t    `     h   Member,Appeal_Board___ `