WPC HuC:]osgj4›qI^թ[is.(]Y5C^nO ;Jkau ܥw`k^*z$.ߡ\þڤ&d D7;~áq\T?Xe]Ŭc RUho%܆_Y uD6* x"2+9Q}չbsZUZ4$Ac"9F{up2)Xc9' $`>(v*|} TzNW:(,UH@pJ{<[|Aw"[9wO4:y&C;x_^> yVy0K79ntEv:धDhIuJ .ff)HLv j{GHt[f)-VOo$#U|eI45l?96Y#%W#UN % 0: Z ^ s w 4   m N b Z 0 0D E U@ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /   BHewlett-Packard HP LaserJet P3010 Series0(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularX($USUS.,8DocumentManagement::ModifiedBooleanTRUE~KbK:i+003|xU 8DocumentManagement::ModifiedBooleanTRUE(:(2x$ !USUS.,        0  (#$  0  (C Z(Times New Roman  x$USUS.,      2    _TXXԀTr.at31.  x$USUS.,      1    _ԀXXXXTXXDirectiveE3.1.13states, Asfarinadvanceaspractical,DepartmentCounselandtheapplicantshallserve  oneanotherwithacopyofanypleading,proposeddocumentaryevidence,orotherwrittencommunicationtobe  submittedtotheAdministrativeJudge.#TTs# d !USUS.,  _KEYWORD:GuidelineF  DIGEST:Fromourreviewoftherecord,Applicantwasneitherdeniedanopportunitytopresent  evidencenorwasshemisleadaboutheropportunitytodoso.Additionally,evenifApplicant t hadpresentedthedisputeletters,suchevidencewouldnotlikelyhavehadanyaffectonthe ` outcomeofthiscasebecauseotherdebtsthatshedidnotdispute"aforeclosedmortgage,aloan L  onarepossessedvehiclewithabalanceofabout$15,400,andacredituniondebtplacedfor 8  collectionforabout$4,661"weresufficienttosupporttheunfavorableclearancedecision. $ t Adversedecisionaffirmed  ` _CASENO_:1602941.a1 $  DATE:12/29/2017   __ 8Tdd8         `     h      p DATE:December29,2017 H .؉7r(#(#.AV) xdEgA  InRe:       `   g  ApplicantforSecurityClearance ?"! AV) xdE$gA $g# ) # ) $ ) % ) l& ) X ' ) D!( ) 0") ) #l*  $X+ pX p _ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1602941 l.  X / .؉7r. \XXp   APPEALBOARDDECISION %0!/ APPEARANCES (#2  &%XX FORGOVERNMENT  |*%4 JamesB.Norman,Esq.,ChiefDepartmentCounsel T+&5  FORAPPLICANT  -T(7  ProSe #XX%&W# -,)8 Ї @     TheDepartmentofDefense(DoD)declinedtograntApplicantasecurityclearance.On  November1,2016,DoDissuedastatementofreasons(_SOR_)advisingApplicantofthebasisforthat  decision"securityconcernsraisedunderGuidelineF(FinancialConsiderations)ofDepartmentof t DefenseDirective5220.6(Jan.2,1992,asamended)(Directive).DepartmentCounselrequested ` ahearing.OnJuly31,2017,afterthehearing,DefenseOfficeofHearingsandAppeals(DOHA) L  AdministrativeJudgeMarkHarveydeniedApplicantsrequestforasecurityclearance.Applicant 8  appealedpursuanttoDirectiveE3.1.28andE3.1.30. $ t   Applicantraisedthefollowingissueonappeal:whethertheJudgesadversedecisionwas  L  arbitrary,capricious,orcontrarytolaw.Consistentwiththefollowing,weaffirm.  8      The_SOR_Ԁalleged11delinquentdebts.TheJudgefoundinfavorofApplicantonadebtthat   sheclaimedshepaidandonamortgageforwhichshe advisedcollateralwascollectedtoresolve   debt.Decisionat3,citingGovernmentExhibit(GE)2at50.TheJudgefoundagainstApplicant   ontheremainingdebts,whichincludedanothermortgageandaloanonavehiclethatwas p repossessed.Applicantdisputedanumberofthedebts,butdidnotprovidecopiesofthedisputes. \ Inhisanalysis,theJudgenotedthatApplicantexperiencedconditionsbeyondhercontrol,butdid H notprovesheactedresponsiblyunderthecircumstances.Specifically,sheelectedtostoppaying 4 someofherdebtsin2011eventhoughshewasemployed.TheJudgealsohighlightedtheabsence  p ofcorroboratingdocumentation.  \ Ѐ H   Inherappealbrief,Applicantarguesthatallofherallegeddebts,withtheexceptionofthe 4 loanfortherepossessedvehicle,wereresolved.Shealsoclaimsthecreditoroftherepossessed   vehicleisnotinterestedingettingpaid.Decisionat4,citingTr.at47.Herappealbriefemphasizes   thatalloftheallegeddebts,exceptfortherepossessedvehicleloan,nolongerappearonhermost  recentcreditreports.Inthedecision,theJudgediscussedApplicantsrelianceupontheabsenceof  thedebtsinhercreditreportstomitigatethesecurityconcernsandcited_ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1405803  at3(App.Bd.Jul.7,2016)forthepositionthatdebtsdroppingoffcreditreportsisnotmeaningful l evidenceofdebtresolution.WefindnoerrorintheJudgesanalysis.Mereevidencethatdebtsno X  longerappearoncreditreportsisnotreasontobelievethattheyarenotlegitimateorthattheyhave D! beensatisfactorilyrevolved.See,e.g.,_ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1403747at23(App.Bd.Nov.13,2015). 0"    ApplicantalsocontendsthatshewasshockedtoreadtheJudgesstatementinthedecision $X" thatshedidnotprovidecopiesofdebtdisputes.Sheclaimsthatshehadthedisputeletterswithher $D # atthehearing, statednumeroustimesduringthehearingthattheDepartmentCounselorJudge %0!$ couldhavetheletters,butthoughtshecouldnotofferadditionaldocumentswithoutpermissiononce &"% thehearingstated.AppealBriefat1.Atthebeginningofthehearing,theJudgedidmentionthat '#&  theDirectiveprovidesthatthepartiesshallserveoneanotherwithcopiesofproposeddocumentary (#' evidence(Tr.at11),. #  1      ׀whichmayhaveleadApplicanttobelievethatshecouldnotofferadditional   documentsoncethehearingbegan.However,nostatementwasmadebyeithertheJudgeor  DepartmentCounselduringthehearingthatApplicantcouldnotofferadditionaldocuments.Atthe  hearing,thefollowingexchangeoccurred: t 8  [DepartmentCounsel]:Doyouhaveanythingfromthecreditbureaureport,orcreditL    8  bureausayingthattheyareactivelyremoving[anallegeddebt]...8    8      8  [Applicant]:Ibelieveso.Ihave,Idohavethepaperworkthatcamebackfromthe `   8  creditreport....Idohavethatstackofwhichonestheyremoved.Theywere  L  deletingorremovingfrommycreditreport. 8    8      8  [DepartmentCounsel]:Becauseadebtfallingoffacreditreportduetotimeis    8  differentthanactivelyremovingit.Andyouresayingthattheyremovedit?    8      8  [Applicant]:Idohave,yes,Idohavesomedocumentsforsomeoftheseaccounts    8  thatactuallywereremovedbasedondisputesfromthecreditbureau. #  2      ׀p   NeithertheJudgenorDepartmentCounselaskedwhetherApplicantcouldproducethedispute H letters.ContrarytoApplicantscontention,thetranscriptdoesnotreflectthatshe statednumerous 4 timesthatDepartmentCounselortheJudgecouldhavethedisputeletters.Moreover,shedidnot  p specificallystatethatshehadthoseletterswithheratthehearing.Attheendofhisquestioningof  \ Applicant,theJudgeaskedif therewasanythingelsethatyouwouldliketosayorpresenttoday. H Tr.at48.Inresponsetothatquestion,Applicantmadeanadditionalstatement,butshedidnotoffer 4 thedisputelettersintoevidence.TherecordoftheproceedingwasnotleftopenforApplicantto   submitadditionalmatters.     Fromourreviewoftherecord,Applicantwasneitherdeniedanopportunitytopresent  evidencenorwasshemisleadaboutheropportunitytodoso.Additionally,evenifApplicanthad  presentedthedisputeletters,suchevidencewouldnotlikelyhavehadanyaffectontheoutcomeof l thiscasebecauseotherdebtsthatshedidnotdispute"aforeclosedmortgage,aloanona X  repossessedvehiclewithabalanceofabout$15,400,andacredituniondebtplacedforcollection D! forabout$4,661"weresufficienttosupporttheunfavorableclearancedecision. 0"    ThebalanceofApplicantsargumentsamounttoadisagreementwiththeJudgesweighing $X" oftheevidence.Inherarguments,shecites,forexample,toherunemployment,hermilitaryservice, $D # andhercharacterevidence.Thepresenceofsomemitigatingevidencedoesnotalonecompelthe %0!$ Judgetomakeafavorablesecurityclearancedecision.Asthetrieroffact,theJudgehastoweigh &"% theevidenceasawholeanddecidewhetherthefavorableevidenceoutweighstheunfavorable  evidence,orviceversa.ApartysdisagreementwiththeJudgesweighingoftheevidence,oran  abilitytoargueforadifferentinterpretationoftheevidence,isnotsufficienttodemonstratethe  Judgeweighedtheevidenceorreachedconclusionsinamannerthatisarbitrary,capricious,or t contrarytolaw.See,e.g.,_ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1508684at2(App.Bd.Nov.22,2017). `   ApplicanthasnotidentifiedanyharmfulerrorintheJudgesdecision.TheJudgeexamined 8  therelevantevidenceandarticulatedasatisfactoryexplanationforthedecision.Thedecisionis $ t sustainableonthisrecord. Thegeneralstandardisthataclearancemaybegrantedonlywhen  ` clearlyconsistentwiththeinterestsofthenationalsecurity.DepartmentoftheNavyv.Egan,484  L  U.S.518,528(1988).SeealsoDirective,Encl.2,App.A2(b): Anydoubtconcerningpersonnel  8  beingconsideredfornationalsecurityeligibilitywillberesolvedinfavorofthenationalsecurity. $  @*  Order    .  TheDecisionis AFFIRMED . \    `     h   Signed:Michael_Raanan_Ԁ `    `     h   Michael_Raanan_ L    `     h   AdministrativeJudge 8    `     h   Chairperson,AppealBoard $    `     h   Signed:JamesE.Moody     `     h   JamesE.Moody p    `     h   AdministrativeJudge \     `     h   Member,AppealBoard H!    `     h    `     h   Signed:JamesF._Duffy___________________________________________________________________Ԁ $H #    `     h   JamesF.Duffy %4!$    `     h   AdministrativeJudge & "%    `     h   Member,AppealBoard ' #& ____