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T h=\Eᡶ)ui"I!iP!lM/[ #!W?]z+c/lbN0(gt:}Q f| b"O RgOGo YtxB59V[WP,bdd'UMmkl;4긑ZtWXX.$l,Ps_sۆgBk6_lrق8BkOusK*k16SߔT3$x[* \RA\< N1 (h/lrM L>֟քj:d60֟Ë3Ҽcbs:=Wi <$,/,;d.9;x{mZ#UN % 0: ZC ^ w 4   m Z NC C 0E E  0D B Hewlett-Packard HP LaserJet P3010 Series0(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularX($USUS.,8DocumentManagement::ModifiedBooleanTRUEJ;EJntFold3|xU8DocumentManagement::ModifiedBooleanTRUE(Y(2ΰ$ !USUS.,  XX      0    ΰ$USUS.,XX      1    _TotheextentthatApplicantischallengingtheJudgesfindingsaboutthestatetaxlien,weconcludethatthe  findingsaresupportedbysubstantialevidence.See_ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1404435at4(App.Bd.Mar.13,2017).(#$  0   d !USUS.,  _KEYWORD:GuidelineF  DIGEST:ApplicantarguesthattheDecisiondevotedunreasonableattentiontotheone  remainingtaxlienattheexpenseofallthepositiveaspectsofhisrecord.Weconcludethat t ApplicanthasnotrebuttedthepresumptionthattheJudgeconsideredalloftheevidenceinthe ` record,norhasheshownthattheJudgeweighedtheevidenceinamannerthatwasarbitrary, L  capricious,orcontrarytolaw.Adversedecisionaffirmed. 8  _CASENO_:1508885.a1  ` DATE:06/21/2017  8     `     h      p DATE:June21,2017   .؉7r(#(#.AY) xdEogA p InRe: k      / ApplicantforSecurityClearance W AY) xdEgA / ) p ) \ ) H ) 4 )  p )  \ ) H ) 4    ! pX p ISCRCaseNo.1508885 4$   p% .؉7r. \XXp %    APPEALBOARDDECISION & APPEARANCES X )  &%XX FORGOVERNMENT  0"+ JamesB.Norman,Esq.,ChiefDepartmentCounsel #X,  FORAPPLICANT  $ .  Prose #XX%&# % /     TheDepartmentofDefense(DoD)declinedtograntApplicantasecurityclearance.On >(#2 March26,2016,DoDissuedastatementofreasons(SOR)advisingApplicantofthebasisforthat *)z$3 decision!securityconcernsraisedunderGuidelineF(FinancialConsiderations)ofDepartmentof *f%4 DefenseDirective5220.6(Jan.2,1992,asamended)(Directive).Applicantrequestedadecision +R&5 onthewrittenrecord.OnMarch20,2017,afterconsideringtherecord,DefenseOfficeofHearings +>'6 andAppeals(DOHA)AdministrativeJudgeDavidM.WhitedeniedApplicantsrequestfora ,*(7 securityclearance.ApplicantappealedpursuanttoDirectiveE3.1.28andE3.1.30. -)8 Ї  Applicantraisedthefollowingissueonappeal:whethertheJudgesadversedecisionwas  arbitrary,capricious,orcontrarytolaw.Consistentwiththefollowing,weaffirm.    TheJudgesFindingsofFact  `   ApplicanthasbeenemployedbyaDefensecontractorsince2008.Heisseekingtorenew 8  aclearancethathehasheldsince2005.ApplicantsSORincludedfourFederalorstatetaxliensthat $ t resultedfromaseriesofjobrelatedrelocations.TheJudgeresolvedtheminApplicantsfavor.  ` However,oneadditionalallegationpertainedtoastatetaxlienforalittleover$17,000,andthe  L  Judgefoundthatithadnotbeenresolved.Applicantclaimedthathedidnotowetheclaimedtax  8  liabilitybecausehewasworkingoutofstateduringthetimecoveredbythelien,taxyears1998 $  through2004.TheJudgefoundthathehadnotcorroboratedthebasisforthisdispute.Hefound   thatApplicantsCPAhadadvisedhimtosettlewiththestatebecausehehadadmittedthathehad   livedthereduringatleastsomeoftheyearsinquestion.TheJudgenoteda2005creditreport,   (admittedasItem3),whichlistedaddressesgoingbackto2001.Theseaddresseswereallinthe   statethathadfiledthelien.TheJudgealsostatedthatApplicanthadprovidednoevidenceother p thanuncorroboratedassertionsregardinghiscurrentfinancialstabilityandabilitytorepayhisdebt. \  Allrecordevidenceindicatesthatheisunwillingtodosoinanyevent.Decisionat3. H   TheJudgesAnalysis   p   ThoughnotingtheliensthatApplicantdidresolve,theJudgeconcludedthathehadnot H mitigatedthe$17,000statetaxlien.HecitedtoevidencethatApplicantsCPAhadrecommended 4 settlingwiththestateandobservedthatApplicanthadnotprovideddocumentaryevidenceinsupport   ofhisclaimtohavebeenresidingelsewhere.HestatedthatApplicants recentandcontinuing   refusaltopayhisapparentlylegitimateandsubstantialstateincometaxdebtdemonstratesan  absenceofrehabilitationorbehavioralchange.Decisionat6.Heconcludedthatitislikelythat  similarproblemswillrecurandwiththemthepotentialforpressure,coercion,orduress.    Discussion  X    Applicantcitestohisdisputeofthetaxdebtinquestion,hishavingresolvedotherdebts,his 0"  goodsecurityrecord,andotherfavorableevidence.HearguesthattheDecisiondevoted #l! unreasonableattentiontotheoneremainingtaxlienattheexpenseofallthepositiveaspectsofhis $X" record.Afterconsideringthisargumentinlightoftherecordasawhole,weconcludethat $D # ApplicanthasnotrebuttedthepresumptionthattheJudgeconsideredalloftheevidenceinthe %0!$ record,norhasheshownthattheJudgeweighedtheevidenceinamannerthatwasarbitrary, &"% capricious,orcontrarytolaw.See,e.g.,ISCRCaseNo.1300502at3(App.Bd.Mar.7,2017). '#&   ApplicantarguesthattheJudgesoveralldecisionwasbasedupon limitedinformation. )$( AppealBriefat2.Hestatesthatinformationregardinghisabilitytopayhisdebtsisavailable |*%) throughhisFederalincometaxfilingsbutnoonerequestedevidenceoffinancialstability.Ina h+&* DOHAproceedingitistheapplicantsdutytopresentevidenceinmitigationoftheconcernsraised T,'+ inhisSOR.DirectiveE3.1.15.ItisneithertheJudgesnorDepartmentCounselsdutytoseek @-(, additionalmitigatingevidenceorotherwiseundertakefurtherinvestigationoftheconcernsraised  inanSOR.See,e.g.,ISCRCaseNo.1403062at3(App.Bd.Sep.11,2015).Althoughprose  applicantsarenotheldtothestandardsofattorneys,theyareexpectedtotakereasonablestepsto  protecttheirrights.See,e.g.,ISCRCaseNo.1202371at3(App.Bd.Jun.30,2014).Inthecase t beforeus,anypaucityofmitigatingevidenceinthefilewasduetoApplicantsowndecisionsafter ` havingreceivedadequatenoticeofhisevidentiaryresponsibilities. #  1      ׀ L    TheJudgeexaminedtherelevantevidenceandarticulatedasatisfactoryexplanationforthe $ t decision.Apersonwhofailsrepeatedlytofulfillhisorherlegalobligationsdoesnotdemonstrate  ` thehighdegreeofgoodjudgmentandreliabilityrequiredofthosegrantedaccesstoclassified  L  information.See,e.g.,ISCRCase1406808at2(App.Bd.Nov.23,2016).Thedecisionis  8  sustainableonthisrecord. Thegeneralstandardisthataclearancemaybegrantedonlywhen $  clearlyconsistentwiththeinterestsofthenationalsecurity.DepartmentoftheNavyv.Egan,484   U.S.518,528(1988).SeealsoDirective,Enclosure22(b): Anydoubtconcerningpersonnel   beingconsideredforaccesstoclassifiedinformationwillberesolvedinfavorofthenational   security.   @( Order  \   TheDecisionis AFFIRMED . 4    `     h   Signed:Michael_Raanan_Ԁ 8    `     h   Michael_Raanan_ $    `     h   AdministrativeJudge     `     h   Chairperson,AppealBoard     `     h   Signed:JamesE.Moody__ \     `     h   JamesE.Moody H!    `     h   AdministrativeJudge 4"     `     h   Member,AppealBoard  #p!    `     h   Signed:JamesF.Duffy & "%    `     h   JamesF.Duffy ' #&    `     h   AdministrativeJudge (#'    `     h   Member,Appeal_Board___ )$(  *%)