ÿWPC<  Å3d€>ÆË/®íË/®íÝG=1¯Pž LŽDÔ<↑îâž9Q?–œ¥nU$"WÇÕÔd:õ :¥àäYEx´±Róê‡m™`#ñ“ãÙ–KëqD02ªQ¬pû~Çb”KZ{'yB¿ê~J7=ªfqCñíTƒk訣}Öæ oqÉ êÅ£-Í?'ÙÍ}ó)xºBZH…¸Gcé'6 Ðrequested€a€hearing.€€On€December€15,€2016,€after€the€hearing,€Defense€Office€of€Hearings€andÐ Ú,*(7 ÐAppeals€(DOHA)€Administrative€Judge€Philip€S.€Howe€denied€Applicantððs€request€for€aÐ Æ-)8 ÐÔ_ Ôtrustworthiness€designation.€€Applicant€appealed€pursuant€to€Directive€ðððð€€E3.1.28€and€E3.1.30.Ð ° ÐÌà  àApplicant€raised€the€following€issues€on€appeal:€whether€the€Judge€erred€in€his€findings€andÐ ˆØ Ðwhether€the€Judgeððs€adverse€decision€was€arbitrary,€capricious,€or€contrary€to€law.€€Consistent€withÐ tÄ Ðthe€following,€we€affirm.€€Ð `° ÐÌÌà  àò òThe€Judgeððs€Findings€of€Factó óÐ $ t ÐÌà  à39€years€old,€Applicant€is€married€with€three€children.€€Her€husband€is€disabled€and€has€beenÐ ü L  Ðreceiving€disability€benefits€for€the€past€four€years.€€Applicant€receives€child€support€payments.€€SheÐ è 8  Ðhas€no€savings,€although€she€has€a€retirement€account€containing€about€$4,000.€€Applicant€lives€rent„Ð Ô$  Ðfree€in€a€house€owned€by€her€husbandððs€parents.€€Ð À  ÐÌà  àApplicant€has€nearly€$20,000€in€delinquent€debts,€for€such€things€as€medical€expenses,€aÐ ˜è  Ðrepossessed€vehicle,€utility€bills,€telephone€services,€and€a€credit€card.€€In€addition,€she€owes€her€stateÐ „Ô  Ðover€$6,000€in€unemployment€compensation€that€her€employer€had€successfully€contested,€and€she€Ð pÀ Ðowes€$4,000€in€medical€debts€not€listed€in€the€SOR.€€Applicant€intends€to€file€Chapter€7€bankruptcyÐ \¬ Ðafter€the€hearing.€€As€of€the€close€of€the€record€she€still€needed€income€tax€records€to€establish€herÐ H˜ Ðincome€for€purposes€of€the€bankruptcy€filing.€€The€status€of€the€proposed€bankruptcy€filing€isÐ 4„ Ðunknown.Ð  p ÐÌà  àNone€of€Applicantððs€SOR€debts€are€resolved.€€She€states€that€she€does€not€have€the€moneyÐ øH Ðto€pay€them€and€support€her€family€at€the€same€time.€€Due€to€work€absences€taken€under€the€FamilyÐ ä4 ÐMedical€Leave€Act€as€well€as€to€personal€time€off,€Applicant€went€for€a€period€of€over€60€days€inÐ Ð  Ð2015€and€over€40€days€in€2016€in€which€she€earned€no€income.€€In€addition,€she€experienced€severalÐ ¼  Ðmonths€of€unemployment€in€2012,€2013,€and€2014.€€Applicant€contended€that€Medicaid€should€haveÐ ¨ø Ðpaid€all€of€her€medical€bills.Ð ”ä ÐÌà  àApplicant€has€had€no€financial€counseling€save€for€that€required€for€bankruptcy.€€ApplicantððsÐ l¼ Ðperformance€evaluation€for€2014€rates€her€ð ðsatisfactory,ðð€while€in€2016€her€supervisor€rated€her€asÐ X ¨ Ðmeeting€or€exceeding€goals.Ð D!” ÐÌà  àò òThe€Judgeððs€Analysisó óÐ #l! ÐÌà  àThe€Judge€concluded€that€the€circumstances€under€which€Applicantððs€debts€arose€could€beÐ ô$D # Ðrepeated€and€that€her€financial€condition€raises€concerns€about€her€reliability,€trustworthiness,€andÐ à%0!$ Ðgood€judgment.€€Though€acknowledging€that€these€circumstances€were€to€an€extent€outside€herÐ Ì&"% Ðcontrol,€the€Judge€concluded€that€Applicant€had€not€demonstrated€responsible€action.€€He€noted€thatÐ ¸'#& Ðshe€had€taken€no€action€to€resolve€or€dispute€her€debts,€despite€an€overall€annual€income€of€overÐ ¤(ô#' Ð$50,000.€€He€stated€that€a€person€should€not€spend€beyond€his€or€her€means,€especially€when€livingÐ )à$( Ðrent„free,€as€Applicant€is.€€The€Judge€stated€that€Applicant€has€not€had€financial€counseling,€nor€hasÐ |*Ì%) Ðshe€made€a€good„faith€effort€to€resolve€her€debts.€€In€the€whole„person€analysis,€the€Judge€reiteratedÐ h+¸&* Ðmuch€of€the€discussion€summarized€above.€€€He€further€stated€that€Applicant€had€not€shown€that€sheÐ T,¤'+ Ðwas€eligible€for€Medicaid€and€that€the€program€should€have€paid€her€medical€expenses.€€Moreover,Ð @-(, Ðshe€submitted€no€evidence€that€she€has€filed€for€bankruptcy.€€Ð ° ÐÌà  àò òDiscussionó óÐ ˆØ ÐÌà  àApplicantððs€appeal€brief€cites€to€various€aspects€of€her€case€that€she€believes€the€Judge€didÐ `° Ðnot€consider€or€that€he€misinterpreted.€€For€example,€she€states€that€she€has€received€the€financialÐ L œ Ðcounseling€that€is€required€for€bankruptcy,€that€she€is€current€on€her€bills,€that€she€is€not€living€rent„Ð 8 ˆ Ðfree€but€makes€some€payments€to€her€parents,€etc.€€She€also€argues€that€bankruptcy€is€a€time„Ð $ t Ðconsuming€process,€that€she€is€not€allowed€to€pay€collection€accounts,€and€that€she€cannot€prove€thatÐ  ` Ðshe€was€entitled€to€Medicaid.€€Applicantððs€arguments€are€not€sufficient€to€show€that€the€Judge€failedÐ ü L  Ðto€consider€all€of€the€evidence,€nor€are€they€sufficient€to€show€that€the€Judge€weighed€the€evidenceÐ è 8  Ðin€a€manner€that€was€arbitrary,€capricious,€or€contrary€to€law.€€ADP€Case€No.€14„03541€at€3€(App.Ð Ô$  ÐBd.€Aug.€3,€2015);€ADP€Case€No.€12„09387€at€2€(App.€Bd.€Apr.€26,€2016).€€The€finding€thatÐ À  ÐApplicant€lives€rent„free€is€based€upon€her€own€explicit€testimony:€ð ð[Q]:€Do€you€have€to€pay€rent,Ð ¬ü  Ðor€are€you€able€to€live€there€rent€free?€[Applicant]:€Rent€free.ðð€€Tr.€at€31.€€The€Judgeððs€materialÐ ˜è  Ðfindings€are€based€upon€substantial€evidence.€€òòSeeóó€Directive€ðð€E3.1.32.1.€€òòSee€also€óóADP€Case€No.Ð „Ô  Ð15„02400€at€2„3€(App.€Bd.€Sep.€12,€2016).€€€€Ð pÀ ÐÌà  àThe€Judge€examined€the€relevant€data€and€articulated€a€satisfactory€explanation€for€theÐ H˜ Ðdecision.€€The€decision€is€sustainable€on€this€record.€€The€standard€applicable€to€trustworthinessÐ 4„ Ðcases€is€that€set€forth€in€òòDepartment€of€the€Navy€v.€Eganóó,€484€U.S.€518,€528€(1988)€regardingÐ  p Ðsecurity€clearances:€€such€a€determination€ð ðmay€be€granted€only€when€ððclearly€consistent€with€theÐ  \ Ðinterests€of€the€national€security.ðððð€òòSee,€e.g.óó,€ADP€Case€No.€12„04343€at€3€(App.€Bd.€May€21,€2013).òò€Ð øH ÐSee€also€Kaplan€v.€Conyersóó,€733€F.3d€1148€(Fed.€Cir.€2013),€òòcert.€deniedóó.Ð ä4 ÐÌÐ  ¼  Ðà@ââ(ìàò òOrderó óˆÐ ° ÐÌà  àThe€Decision€is€ò òAFFIRMEDó ó.€€Ð ˆØ ÐÌÌÌà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àòòSigned:€€Michael€Raððanan€€€€€€óóÐ < Œ Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àMichael€RaððananÐ ( x Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àAdministrative€JudgeÐ  d Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àChairperson,€Appeal€BoardÐ  P  ÐÌÌÌà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àòòSigned:€€James€E.€Moody€€€€€€óóÐ °  Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àJames€E.€MoodyÐ œì  Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àAdministrative€JudgeÐ ˆØ  Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àMember,€Appeal€BoardÐ tÄ ÐÌÌÌà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àòòSigned:€€James€F.€Duffy€€€€€€€óóÐ $t Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àJames€F.€DuffyÐ ` Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àAdministrative€JudgeÐ üL Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àMember,€Appeal€BoardÐ è8 ÐÌ