ÿWPCf  ?í+4>Gä'2Mg6ÀGäC™_º4nÚqPX¿£ác|“¾›@Ë‹?•Þi­Ñ\ûIqXköED¨÷BHð,×zz Š& c)[ù'1|ž‘¯j`ÈqŠ¹aüL46øß••ÖJ†PãO'B?1“xÌ o˜éæŸý€“=~Ù„eêÀ&ª½7`9OA~p‹=!bq€1œfŽ—¼A´”e¼—Ÿ½˜†xDÎCâÌB&.åKv ýñ ƒT9±ÇjHF¶¸0wÒ%3åÌ-ÀËsgw),ŠÒ6,èšäÚæ´ ¸­´øì,3Ã-ó…ƒ ‚Ù(Ž#2 ÐFebruary€4,€2015,€DoD€issued€a€statement€of€reasons€(Ô_ÔSORÔ_Ô)€advising€Applicant€of€the€basis€for€thatÐ *)z$3 Ðdecisionð!ðsecurity€concerns€raised€under€Guideline€F€(Financial€Considerations)€of€Department€ofÐ *f%4 ÐDefense€Directive€5220.6€(Jan.€2,€1992,€as€amended)€(Directive).€€Applicant€requested€a€hearing.€Ð +R&5 ÐOn€December€2,€2016,€after€the€hearing,€Defense€Office€of€Hearings€and€Appeals€(DOHA)Ð î+>'6 ÐAdministrative€Judge€John€Grattan€Metz,€Jr.,€denied€Applicantððs€request€for€a€security€clearance.€Ð Ú,*(7 ÐApplicant€appealed€pursuant€to€Directive€ðððð€E3.1.28€and€E3.1.30.Ð Æ-)8 Їà  àApplicant€raised€the€following€issue€on€appeal:€whether€the€Judgeððs€adverse€decision€wasÐ ° Ðarbitrary,€capricious,€or€contrary€to€law.€€Consistent€with€the€following,€we€affirm.Ð œì ÐÌÌÔ_Ôà  àò òThe€Judgeððs€Findings€of€Factó óÐ `° ÐÌà  àApplicant€has€worked€for€a€Defense€contractor€since€late€2009.€€He€has€worked€in€similarÐ 8 ˆ Ðpositions€since€2004,€the€year€in€which€he€retired€from€the€Federal€Government.€€He€has€held€aÐ $ t Ðclearance€since€1973.€€Ð  ` ÐÌà  àApplicantððs€SOR€alleges€a€number€of€delinquent€debts,€totaling€over€$150,000.€€He€enteredÐ è 8  Ðinto€repayments€plans€for€some€of€them,€though€only€after€the€creditors€had€sued€for€collection.€Ð Ô$  ÐCreditors€forgave€three€of€Applicantððs€debts,€and€he€testified€that€he€had€included€the€forgivenÐ À  Ðamounts€on€his€tax€return.€€Applicantððs€wife€died€in€2001,€cutting€the€family€income€by€40%.€Ð ¬ü  ÐHowever,€Applicant€did€not€change€his€spending€habits€to€accommodate€his€new€circumstances.€€HeÐ ˜è  Ðmade€no€effort€to€address€his€debts€from€2001€until€2010,€when€his€money€ran€out.Ð „Ô  ÐÌà  àIn€2011,€Applicant€consulted€a€bankruptcy€attorney.€€He€learned€that€he€could€not€apply€underÐ \¬ ÐChapter€7€because€his€income€was€too€high.€€He€later€decided€not€to€file€under€Chapter€13€either,Ð H˜ Ðbecause€he€would€have€to€pay€at€least€25%€of€his€outstanding€debt,€which€he€believed€would€beÐ 4„ Ðonerous.€€ð ðThe€main€piece€of€advise€Applicant€accepted€from€his€attorney€was€to€only€deal€with€hisÐ  p Ðcreditors€if€they€took€him€to€court€to€collect€the€debt.ðð€€Decision€at€3.€€Ð  \ ÐÌà  àApplicantððs€income€from€his€current€job€is€$150,000€a€year.€€He€also€receives€$97,000Ð ä4 Ðannually€in€Federal€retirement€pay.€€Applicantððs€two€sons€live€with€him,€one€of€whom€suffers€fromÐ Ð  Ðdisabilities.€€Applicant€receives€about€$13,200€a€year€in€social€security€disability€pay€on€behalf€ofÐ ¼  Ðthis€son.€€His€other€son€earns€about€$60,000€a€year€but€does€not€contribute€to€the€household€expenses.€Ð ¨ø ÐÌà  àApplicant€attributed€his€financial€problems€to€his€wifeððs€death€and€the€cost€of€caring€for€hisÐ €Ð Ðdisabled€son.€€He€has€also€provided€assistance€to€a€family€friend.€€Applicant€himself€has€experiencedÐ l¼ Ðsome€medical€problems€recently.€€He€admits€that€he€does€not€have€the€money€to€pay€his€debts€andÐ X ¨ Ðthat€he€has€made€little€effort€to€contact€his€creditors.€€Applicant€provided€no€evidence€of€financialÐ D!” Ðcounseling€or€of€a€budget.€€Neither€did€he€provide€evidence€of€the€quality€of€his€duty€performance,Ð 0"€  Ðcharacter,€community€involvement,€etc.Ð #l! ÐÌà  àò òThe€Judgeððs€Analysisó óÐ ô$D # ÐÌà  àApplicant€has€satisfied€none€of€the€mitigating€conditions.€€His€delinquent€debts€are€recent€andÐ Ì&"% Ðfrequent€and€are€due€largely€to€his€lack€of€attention.€€Though€his€wifeððs€death€was€outside€his€control,Ð ¸'#& ÐApplicant€did€not€take€responsible€action€in€regard€to€his€financial€problems.€€His€decision€to€followÐ ¤(ô#' Ðhis€attorneyððs€advise€to€wait€out€his€creditors€does€not€constitute€a€good„faith€effort€to€pay€his€debts.€Ð )à$( ÐThe€Judge€reiterated€his€finding€that€Applicant€had€not€received€counseling.€€He€concluded€thatÐ |*Ì%) ÐApplicantððs€financial€problems€were€not€under€control.Ð h+¸&* ÐÌà  àò òDiscussionó óÐ @-(, Їà  àApplicant€contends€that€there€is€no€record€evidence€that€he€is€unreliable,€untrustworthy,€orÐ ° Ðotherwise€lacking€in€qualities€necessary€to€protecting€national€security.€€We€construe€this€as€anÐ œì Ðargument€that€his€circumstances€do€not€raise€security€concerns.€€The€concern€under€Guideline€F€isÐ ˆØ Ðthat€delinquent€debts€may€cast€doubt€upon€an€applicantððs€judgment,€self€control,€and€otherÐ tÄ Ðcharacteristics€essential€to€protecting€national€security€information.€€òòSee,€e.g.óó,€ISCR€Case€No.€12„Ð `° Ð09719€at€2€(App.€Bd.€Apr.€6,€2016).€€In€this€case,€the€Judgeððs€findings€about€Applicantððs€delinquentÐ L œ Ðdebts,€viewed€in€conjunction€with€his€substantial€income,€are€sufficient€to€raise€concerns€about€hisÐ 8 ˆ Ðjudgement€and€self„control,€which,€in€turn,€impugn€his€ability€to€protect€classified€information.€€WeÐ $ t Ðfind€no€reason€to€disturb€the€Judgeððs€treatment€of€the€disqualifying€conditions€set€forth€in€theÐ  ` ÐDirective.€€Ð ü L  ÐÌà  àApplicant€cites€to€things€such€as€the€death€of€his€wife€and€loss€of€her€income,€his€consultationÐ Ô$  Ðwith€a€bankruptcy€attorney,€income€and€expenditure€information€(Applicant€Exhibit€E),€hisÐ À  Ðexpenditures€on€behalf€of€his€disabled€son,€his€having€held€a€clearance€for€many€years,€etc.€€TheÐ ¬ü  ÐJudge€made€findings€about€the€evidence€that€Applicant€has€discussed€in€his€brief.€€Applicant€has€notÐ ˜è  Ðrebutted€the€presumption€that€the€Judge€considered€all€of€the€evidence€in€the€record.€€A€Judge€isÐ „Ô  Ðpresumed€to€have€considered€all€the€evidence€in€the€record.€€òòSee,€e.g.óó,€ISCR€Case€No.€15„02854€atÐ pÀ Ð2€(App.€Bd.€Nov.€22,€2016).€€His€argument€is,€in€large€measure,€a€disagreement€with€the€JudgeððsÐ \¬ Ðweighing€of€the€evidence,€which€is€not€enough€to€show€that€the€Judge€weighed€the€evidence€in€aÐ H˜ Ðmanner€that€was€arbitrary,€capricious,€or€contrary€to€law.€€òòSee,€e.g.óó,€ISCR€Case€No.€14„06686€at€2Ð 4„ Ð(App.€Bd.€Apr.€27,€2016).Ð  p ÐÌà  àApplicant€notes€the€Judgeððs€finding€that€he€had€not€submitted€character€references,€evidenceÐ øH Ðof€job€performance,€etc.€€He€argues€that€his€investigative€file€contains€ð ðextensive€testimony€obtainedÐ ä4 Ðfrom€reliable€present€and€former€Government€Security€officials€who€attest€to€[his]€work€andÐ Ð  Ðcharacter.ðð€€Appeal€Brief€at€5.€€He€states€that€there€is€no€evidence€that€anyone€gave€consideration€toÐ ¼  Ðthis€information.€€Ð ¨ø ÐÌà  àHowever,€in€a€DOHA€proceeding,€a€Judge€bases€his€or€her€decision€strictly€on€the€pleadingsÐ €Ð Ðand€on€the€evidence€submitted€by€the€parties.€€At€the€hearing,€the€Governmentððs€responsibility€is€to€Ð l¼ Ðpresent€evidence€to€establish€those€SOR€allegations€that€have€been€controverted.€€Directive€ððÐ X ¨ ÐE3.1.14.€€It€is€the€applicantððs€job€to€present€evidence€to€mitigate€security€concerns€raised€by€the€SORÐ D!” Ðadmissions,€if€any,€and€the€Governmentððs€evidence.€€Directive€ðð€E3.1.15.€€In€this€case,€DepartmentÐ 0"€  ÐCounsel€notified€Applicant€of€the€exhibits€that€he€intended€to€offer€at€the€hearing.€€Hearing€ExhibitÐ #l! Ð(HE)€I€(Letter€dated€January€5,€2016);€Tr.€at€19.€€Applicant€submitted€his€own€documentary€evidenceÐ $X" Ðas€well.€€Tr.€at€26.€€There€is€nothing€in€HE€I€or€anywhere€else€in€the€record€that€would€have€ledÐ ô$D # ÐApplicant€to€believe€that€the€Judge€would€consider€anything€other€than€the€documents€and€testimonyÐ à%0!$ Ðpresented€by€the€parties€and€admitted€into€the€record.€€Moreover,€HE€I€specifically€stated€toÐ Ì&"% ÐApplicant€that€he€could€present€character€witnesses€if€he€so€chose.€€Accordingly,€the€nature€andÐ ¸'#& Ðextent€of€Applicantððs€evidence€in€mitigation€was€a€consequence€of€his€decisions€after€havingÐ ¤(ô#' Ðreceived€adequate€guidance€as€to€his€rights€and€responsibilities€at€the€hearing.€€Applicantððs€argumentÐ )à$( Ðdoes€not€raise€an€issue€of€harmful€error€by€the€Judge.€€€€Ð |*Ì%) ÐÌà  àThe€Judge€examined€the€relevant€evidence€and€articulated€a€satisfactory€explanation€for€theÐ T,¤'+ Ðdecision.€€The€decision€is€sustainable€on€this€record.€€ð ðThe€general€standard€is€that€a€clearance€mayÐ @-(, Ðbe€granted€only€when€ððclearly€consistent€with€the€interests€of€the€national€security.ðððð€€òòDepartmentÐ ° Ðof€the€Navy€v.€Eganóó,€484€U.S.€518,€528€(1988).€€òòSee€alsoóó€Directive,€Enclosure€2€ðð€2(b):€€ð ðAny€doubtÐ œì Ðconcerning€personnel€being€considered€for€access€to€classified€information€will€be€resolved€in€favorÐ ˆØ Ðof€the€national€security.ððÐ tÄ ÐÌò òà@ââ(ìàOrderó óˆÐ L œ ÐÌà  àThe€Decision€is€ò òAFFIRMEDó ó.€€Ð $ t ÐÌÌÌà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àòòSigned:€€€Michael€Raððanan€€€€€€€€€óóÐ Ø(  Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àMichael€RaððananÐ Ä  Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àAdministrative€JudgeÐ °  Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àChairperson,€Appeal€BoardÐ œì  ÐÌÌÌà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àòòSigned:€€James€E.€Moody€€€€€€€€€€€óóÐ Lœ Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àJames€E.€MoodyÐ 8ˆ Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àAdministrative€JudgeÐ $t Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àMember,€Appeal€BoardÐ ` ÐÌÌÌà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àòòSigned:€€€James€F.€Duffy€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÐ À Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àJames€F.€DuffyÐ ¬ü Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àAdministrative€JudgeÐ ˜è Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àMember,€Appeal€BoardÐ „Ô ÐÌ