WPC  ?2=1'+[jEb`"gM!zHRz^{ڻ, ptVMn 0+͗܅NrEM;xBuC|A@j솊,rT3Lǟͽ*ـ ֡R;h;W~cO-ƒ7Pn+Wwd\x/FřڨiXc^[[jEn$beo2o5e{UݬJ`vw_F35޿_J WZxWNs؊)rKC] 3߾gMO/>~H~|ʈK$E 0>nnV9RM׈O1kC`L =?jZ#UN % 0: ZC ^ w 4   m Z NC 0E E  0D{ { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { { B Hewlett-Packard HP LaserJet P3010 Series0(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularX($USUS.,8DocumentManagement::ModifiedBooleanTRUEK;=J!PCsg<3|xU8DocumentManagement::ModifiedBooleanTRUE(Y(2H$ !USUS.,   XX      0    H$USUS., XX      1    _TherecordcontainsApplicantsdischargeorder,whichstatesthatnotalldebtsarenecessarilycoveredbya  bankruptcydischarge.Item1,DischargeOrder,includedinAnswerto_SOR_.(#$  0   d !USUS.,  _KEYWORD:GuidelineF  DIGEST:ApplicantcitestothebankruptcycodeinsupportofhischallengetotheJudges  analysis.However,evenifApplicantiscorrectasamatteroflawthatallofthe_SOR_Ԁdebtswere t covered,itwouldnotcompelafavorableresult.Furthermore,asDepartmentCounselnotes, ` Applicanthasnotexplainedthecircumstancesinwhichthedelinquenciesarose.Althoughdebts L  mayhavebeenpaidordischargedinbankruptcy,aJudgemaystillconsidertheunderlying 8  circumstancesforwhattheymayrevealaboutanapplicantsjudgmentandreliability.Adverse $ t decisionaffirmed.  ` _CASENO_:1602246.a1  8  DATE:_12/8/2017_________      `     h      p DATE:December8,2017   .؉7r(#(#.AY) xdE[gA \ InRe: W      k ApplicantforSecurityClearance C AY) xdEgA  ) \ ) H ) 4 )  p )  \ ) H ) 4  )  !   " pX p _ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1602246  p%   \& .؉7r. \XXp &    APPEALBOARDDECISION ' APPEARANCES D!*  &W%XX FORGOVERNMENT  #l, JamesB.Norman,Esq.,ChiefDepartmentCounsel #D-  FORAPPLICANT  % / KennethM.RobertsEsq.#XX%&Wz# |&!0     TheDepartmentofDefense(DoD)declinedtograntApplicantasecurityclearance.On ,)|$3 October31,2016,DoDissuedastatementofreasons(_SOR_)advisingApplicantofthebasisforthat *h%4 decision!securityconcernsraisedunderGuidelineF(FinancialConsiderations)ofDepartmentof +T&5 DefenseDirective5220.6(Jan.2,1992,asamended)(Directive).Applicantrequestedadecision +@'6 onthewrittenrecord.OnAugust11,2017,afterconsideringtherecord,DefenseOfficeofHearings ,,(7 andAppeals(DOHA)AdministrativeJudgeRogerC.WesleydeniedApplicantsrequestfora -)8 securityclearance.ApplicantappealedpursuanttoDirectiveE3.1.28andE3.1.30.     Applicantraisedthefollowingissueonappeal:whethertheJudgesadversedecisionwas  arbitrary,capricious,orcontrarytolaw.Consistentwiththefollowing,weaffirm. t   TheJudgesFindingsofFact  8    Applicantisseparatedfromhiswife.Hehasnochildrenfromthemarriage.Heseparated  ` fromtheU.S.militaryin2010andhasworkedforhiscurrentemployersince2015.His_SOR_Ԁalleges  L  over$33,000indelinquentdebt.Withoutotherwiseaddressingthesefinancialdelinquencies,  8  ApplicantfiledforChapter7bankruptcyprotection.Hisdebtsweredischargedinlate2016.The $  Judgestatedthatitisunclearwhetherthedebtsthatwerenotlistedinhisscheduleofnonpriority   claimsweredischarged.Hestatedthatmoredocumentationisneededregardingthesedebts.     Applicantfiledhis2014Federalincometaxreturnlate.Inaddition,heowedover$1,700   inbacktaxes.Heenteredintoaninstallmentagreementwherebyhewouldplay$100permonthin p resolutionofhistaxdelinquency.Heprovidednodocumentationtoshowthathewasadheringto \ thetermsofthisplan. H   Applicantsmonthlyincomeisabout$3,600.Afterexpenseshehas$6.00leftover.Hedid  p notpresentmorerecentinformationabouthisincomethanwasincludedinhisbankruptcypetition.  \ Applicantprovidednoevidenceoffinancialcounselingorofthecreationofabudgettoassisthim H inmanaginghisfinances. 4   TheJudgesAnalysis      TheJudgeresolvedsomeofApplicants_SOR_Ԁdebts,aswellashislatetaxreturn,inhis  favor.However,forotherdebts,includinghisdelinquentincometaxobligation,theJudgeentered  adversefindings.HestatedthatthereisnoevidencethatApplicantsfinancialproblemswerecaused l bycircumstancesoutsidehiscontrol.Moreover,hereiteratedhisfindingthatApplicantdidnot X  provideevidenceofcompliancewithhistaxrepaymentplan.ThoughnotingApplicantsbankruptcy D! discharge,hestatedthatApplicantsdebtsgobackmanyyearsandthattherecorddoesnotcontain 0"  evidenceofareasonablebasisforthesedebts.TheJudgestatedthatApplicantsfinancialandtax #l! problemsreflectpoorlyuponhisjudgmentandreliability. $X"   Discussion  %0!$   Applicantcontendsthatallofhisdelinquentdebtsweredischargedthroughbankruptcy.He '#& citestothebankruptcycodeinsupportofhischallengetotheJudgesanalysis. #  1      ׀However,evenif (#' Applicantiscorrectasamatteroflawthatallofthe_SOR_Ԁdebtswerecovered,itwouldnotcompel )$( afavorableresult.Furthermore,asDepartmentCounselnotes(ReplyBrief,p.9),Applicanthasnot |*%) explainedthecircumstancesinwhichthedelinquenciesarose.Althoughdebtsmayhavebeenpaid  ordischargedinbankruptcy,aJudgemaystillconsidertheunderlyingcircumstancesforwhatthey  mayrevealaboutanapplicantsjudgmentandreliability.See,e.g.,_ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1402394at34  (App.Bd.Aug.17,2015).Bythesametoken,evenifdebtshavebeenresolvedordischarged,a t Judgemayconsideranypaucityofmitigatingevidenceindeterminingwhethertheapplicanthadmet ` hisorherburdenofpersuasion.Here,forexample,Applicantdidnotadequatelyexplainwhat L  effortshetooktoresolvethedebtsshortofbankruptcy.Weresolvethisassignmentoferror 8  adverselytoApplicant. $ t   ApplicantsbriefincludesdocumentsfromoutsidetherecordandthatpostdatetheJudges  L  decision,whichwecannotconsider.DirectiveE3.1.29.Applicantbelievesthathehasmitigated  8  concernsarisingfromhistaxdelinquency.However,theJudgescommentthattherecordcontains $  noevidencetoexcusethisfailureissupportable.InaDOHAproceeding,itistheapplicantsjob   topresentevidenceinmitigationoftheconcernsraisedinthe_SOR_.DirectiveE3.1.15.After   consideringtherecordasawhole,wefindnoreasontodisturbtheJudgesconclusionthatApplicant   hadfailedtomeethisburdenofpersuasion.     TheJudgeexaminedtherelevantevidenceandarticulatedasatisfactoryexplanationforthe \ decision.Apersonwhofailstocomplywithlegalobligations,suchasfilingand/orpayingtaxes H whendue,doesnotexhibitthegoodjudgmentandreliabilityexpectedofthosewithaccessto 4 classifiedinformation.See,e.g.,_ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1506707at3(App.Bd.Aug.15,2017).The  p decisionissustainableonthisrecord. Thegeneralstandardisthataclearancemaybegrantedonly  \ whenclearlyconsistentwiththeinterestsofthenationalsecurity.DepartmentoftheNavyv. H Egan,484U.S.518,528(1988).SeealsoDirective,Encl.2,App.A2(b): Anydoubtconcerning 4 personnelbeingconsideredfornationalsecurityeligibilitywillberesolvedinfavorofthenational   security.    @( Order     TheDecisionis AFFIRMED .     `     h   Signed:Michael_Raanan_Ԁ <     `     h   Michael_Raanan_ ( x    `     h   AdministrativeJudge  d    `     h   Chairperson,AppealBoard  P     `     h   Signed:JamesE.Moody      `     h   JamesE.Moody      `     h   AdministrativeJudge      `     h   Member,AppealBoard t    `     h   Signed:JamesF._Duffy_____________________________________________________________________________Ԁ $t    `     h   JamesF.Duffy `    `     h   AdministrativeJudge L    `     h   Member,Appeal_Board___ 8