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Lu.T yO~HH흦/'3gwiǿBX۰G~1Y&|u]n1y1 * .[̃1:$=I\.`q8)O_=KYZl7hZ|c77 (_צŐA5>DѲwңSߧE]Rnm%lCNAјpXW%U{_!6apb5vPY!l:_j$<[Z#UN % 0: ZC ^ w 4 0 j y m{ E 0D B Hewlett-Packard HP LaserJet P3010 Series0(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularX($USUS.,8DocumentManagement::ModifiedBooleanTRUEťKbK:i+00(Y(2$ !USUS.,  XX      0  3|xU(#$  0   d !USUS.,  _KEYWORD:GuidelineE  DIGEST: ` ApplicantarguesthatshedidnotreceivecreditforherConstitutionalpresumption  ofinnocenceuntilprovedguilty. t   TheJudgesfindingsaboutApplicantsinfractionsareconsistentwiththerecord L  evidence,particularlyApplicants_SOR_Ԁadmissions,heranswersduringherclearanceinterview, 8  andherhearingtestimony.Thepresumptionofinnocenceisaprincipalofcriminallawthathas $ t limitedapplicationinaDOHAadjudication.DOHAapplicantsarenotaffordedthesame  ` protectionsascriminaldefendants.Indeed,aJudgemaylegitimatelyfindthatanapplicanthas  L  committedsecuritysignificantconductdespiteevidencethatchargesweredismissed,not  8  prosecuted,orresultedinacquittals..Afterconsideringtherecordinitstotality,weconclude $  thattheJudgesmaterialfindingsarebaseduponsubstantialevidenceorconstitutereasonable   inferencesthatcanbedrawnfromtheevidence.   _CASENO_:1504217.a1   DATE:12/26/2017 \ _8XXdd8       `     h      p DATE:December1,2017  .؉7r(#(#.AY ) xdEW gA X  InRe: S!      ApplicantforSecurityClearance %?!% AY ) xdE'gA '#'  '&#( ) X ( ) D!) ) 0"* ) #l+ ) $X, ) $D - ) %0!. ) &"/  '#0 pX p ISCRCaseNo.1505310 #l3 .؉7r. \XXp   `     h    )$3    APPEALBOARDDECISION *%4 APPEARANCES ^-(7  &/%XX FORGOVERNMENT   JamesB.Norman,Esq.,ChiefDepartmentCounsel t  FORAPPLICANT  $t  Prose #XX%&/- # L       TheDepartmentofDefense(DoD)declinedtograntApplicantasecurityclearance.On    March21,2016,DoDissuedastatementofreasons(SOR)advisingApplicantofthebasisforthat n  decision"securityconcernsraisedunderGuidelineF(FinancialConsiderations)ofDepartmentof Z  DefenseDirective5220.6(Jan.2,1992,asamended)(Directive).Applicantrequestedadecision F  onthewrittenrecord.OnSeptember12,2017,afterconsideringtherecord,DefenseOfficeof 2  HearingsandAppeals(DOHA)AdministrativeJudgeRogerC.WesleydeniedApplicantsrequest n  forasecurityclearance.ApplicantappealedpursuanttoDirectiveE3.1.28andE3.1.30.  Z   TheJudgefoundagainstApplicantonasecondmortgagethatwaschargedoffintheamount 2 ofapproximately$147,000andonfourtimesharedebtstotalingover$8,000thatwereplacedfor  collection.InherAnswertotheSOR,Applicantadmittedeachofthedebtswithexplanations.       MuchofApplicantsappealbriefconsistsofmattersfromoutsidetherecord.Forexample,  shesubmittedahomeownerstitleinsurancepolicy,employeeperformancereviews,andnarrative ~ explanationsthatshedidnotpreviouslysubmittotheJudgeforconsideration.Suchinformation j constitutesnewevidencethattheAppealBoardcannotconsideronappeal.DirectiveE3.1.29. V     ApplicantassertsthattheJudgeandDepartmentCounselreachedadverseconclusionsbased .~ onlimitedinformation.Applicantisresponsibleforpresentingevidenceinmitigation,extenuation, j rebuttal,orexplanation.DirectiveE3.1.15.Applicanthadopportunitiestosubmitinformationin V responsetotheSORandtheFileofRelevantMaterial.Shesubmittedevidenceinbothinstances. B TotheextentthatsheisarguingthatshewasdeniedthedueprocessaffordedbytheDirective,the  . Boardconcludesotherwise. !    ApplicantarguestheJudgeerredinreferringtothesecondmortgageasa homeequityline #" ofcreditandinfinding: WhetherApplicantusedthe[secondmortgage]loanproceedstoupgrade $# theirhome,oninvestmentpropertypurchases,orforpropertyinvestmentsisunclear.AppealBrief z% $ at1,citingDecisionat3and6.Wenoteonecreditreportintherecordreferstothesecondmortgage f&!% asa JointCon[ventional]Mortgage(GovernmentExhibit(GE)4),whileanothercreditreport R'"& referstoitasa HomeEquityloan(GE5).TheJudgesfindingsregardingthesecondmortgage >(#' arebasedonsubstantialevidenceorconstitutereasonableinferencesorconclusionsthatcouldbe *)z$( drawnfromtheevidence.See,e.g.,ISCRCaseNo.1203420at3(App.Bd.Jul.25,2014). *f%) Moreover,eveniftheJudgescharacterizationofthesecondmortgagewasnotaccurate,suchan +R&* errorwouldhavebeenharmlessbecauseitwouldnothaveaffectedtheoveralloutcomeofthecase._ +>'+ See,e.g.,_ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1200678at2(App.Bd.Jun.13,2014).ApplicantalsoclaimstheJudges  findingsregardingthesecondmortgageimpliedthatshewasattemptingtodefraudthelender;  however,wedonotagreewiththatinterpretationoftheJudgesdecision.    ApplicantalsoclaimstheJudgeerredinfindingthat shedidnotfurnishcharacter ` references.AppealBriefat23.Shenotesthatshelistedcharacterreferencesonhersecurity L  clearanceapplication.Fromourreadingoftherecord,itappearstheJudgemeanttosaythat 8  Applicantdidnotpresentany characterreferenceletters.ThiserrorbytheJudgewasalso $ t harmless.See,e.g.,_ISCR_Ԁ120340,supra.Inthisregard,wenotethattheDirectivedoesnotpermit  ` aJudgetoactasaninvestigatorforeitherparty.See,e.g.,_ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1106659at5(App.Bd.  L  Oct.22,2012).Consequently,aJudgeisnotauthorizedtocontactindependentlyindividualslisted  8  ascharacterreferencestoobtaininformationfromthem. $    ThebalanceofApplicantsargumentsamounttoadisagreementwiththeJudgesweighing   oftheevidence.Herarguments,however,arenotsufficienttoshowthattheJudgeweighedthe   evidenceinamannerthatwasarbitrary,capricious,orcontrarytolaw.See,e.g.,_ISCR_ԀCaseNo.15   01652at2(App.Bd.Jul.7,2017). p   ApplicanthasnotidentifiedanyharmfulerrorintheJudgesdecision.TheJudgeexamined H therelevantevidenceandarticulatedasatisfactoryexplanationforthedecision.Thedecisionis 4 sustainableonthisrecord. Thegeneralstandardisthataclearancemaybegrantedonlywhen  p clearlyconsistentwiththeinterestsofthenationalsecurity.DepartmentoftheNavyv.Egan,484  \ U.S.518,528(1988).SeealsoDirective,Encl.2,App.A2(b): Anydoubtconcerningpersonnel H beingconsideredfornationalsecurityeligibilitywillberesolvedinfavorofthenationalsecurity. 4   @( Order      TheDecisionis AFFIRMED .     `     h   Signed:Michael_Raanan_Ԁ H!    `     h   Michael_Raanan_ 4"     `     h   AdministrativeJudge  #p!    `     h   Chairperson,AppealBoard  $\"    `     h   Signed:WilliamS.Fields ' #&    `     h   WilliamS.Fields (#'    `     h   AdministrativeJudge )$(    `     h   Member,AppealBoard *%)    `     h  l+&* Ї   `     h   Signed:JamesF.Duffy     `     h   JamesF.Duffy     `     h   AdministrativeJudge t    `     h   Member,AppealBoard