WPCd  A4~> m-(,5j <&(pvEƘCVa xZ#UN % 0: ^ C wO 4S g v mx Z Z NC C EE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E BG Hewlett-Packard HP LaserJet P3010 Series0(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularX($USUS.,sYK;EJ:i+003|xU8DocumentManagement::ModifiedBooleanTRUE8DocumentManagement::ModifiedBooleanTRUE d !USUS.,  _KEYWORD:GuidelineF;GuidelineJ  DIGEST:Applicantsbriefincludesnewevidence,whichwecannotconsider.Otherwise,it  constitutesachallengetotheJudgesweighingoftheevidence.However,anabilitytoarguefor t adifferentinterpretationoftheevidenceisnotsufficienttoshowthattheJudgeweighedthe ` evidenceinamannerthatwasarbitrary,capricious,orcontrarytolaw.Adversedecision L  affirmed. 8  _CASENO_:1507654.a1  ` DATE:10/25/2017  8     `     h      p DATE:October25,2017   .؉7r(#(#.AY) xdEogA p InRe: k     ApplicantforSecurityClearance W AY) xdEgA / ) p ) \ ) H ) 4 )  p )  \ ) H ) 4    ! pX p _ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1507654 4$   p% .؉7r. \XXp %    APPEALBOARDDECISION & APPEARANCES X )  &%XX FORGOVERNMENT  0"+ JamesB.Norman,Esq.,ChiefDepartmentCounsel #X,  FORAPPLICANT  $ .  ProSe #XX%&# % /     TheDepartmentofDefense(DoD)declinedtograntApplicantasecurityclearance.On >(#2 September6,2016,DoDissuedastatementofreasons(_SOR_)advisingApplicantofthebasisforthat *)z$3 decision!securityconcernsraisedunderGuidelineF(FinancialConsiderations)andGuidelineJ *f%4 (CriminalConduct)ofDepartmentofDefenseDirective5220.6(Jan.2,1992,asamended) +R&5 (Directive).Applicantrequestedahearing.OnAugust7,2017,afterthehearing,DefenseOffice +>'6 ofHearingsandAppeals(DOHA)AdministrativeJudgeMarkHarveydeniedApplicantsrequest ,*(7 forasecurityclearance.ApplicantappealedpursuanttoDirectiveE3.1.28andE3.1.30. -)8 Ї  Applicantraisedthefollowingissueonappeal:whethertheJudgesadversedecisionwas  arbitrary,capricious,orcontrarytolaw.TheJudgesfavorablefindingsunderGuidelineJarenot  atissueinthisappeal.Consistentwiththefollowing,weaffirm.    TheJudgesFindingsofFact  L    Applicantservedinthemilitaryfrom1986to1996,risingtothegradeofE4.Helater $ t attendedcollege,graduatingsummacumlaude.Divorcedin2005,Applicanthasfouradultchildren.  ` In2009or2010,ApplicantworkedfortheFederalGovernment,duringwhichtimehewasinjured  L  onthejob.Hedidnotreceiveincomeforaboutsixmonthsduetothisinjury.From2011until2015  8  Applicantwasunemployed,althoughhereceivedpartialdisabilitypaymentsfromtheGovernment. $  Thesepaymentswerereducedin2015.     Applicants_SOR_Ԁallegedthathefailedtofileand/orpayhisFederalandstateincometax   returnsforseveralyearsinthe2000s.Inaddition,duringthesametimeperiod,hedidnotfileina   timelymannerseveralstateincometaxreturnsthatwerenotallegedinthe_SOR_,althoughtheJudge p consideredthemforpurposessuchasApplicantscaseformitigation,hiscredibility,thewhole \ personanalysis,etc.ApplicanthasfiledFederalincometaxreturnsformostoftheyearsatissue H here,andhisattorneyisworkingonfilingthoseforhisstate.ApplicanthastwoFederaltaxliens 4 regardinghistotalIRSdebtofabout$53,000.ApplicantstatedthattheIRShadagreedtosettlethis  p accountfor$6,000.Heinitiallystatedthathewouldsendpaymentwithin90daysbutthenasserted  \ thattheIRSwouldneedthatmuchtimeinwhichtocompletethesettlement. H   Applicantattributedhistaxproblemstohisexspousehavingclaimedtheirchildrenas   dependentsonherreturns.Asaconsequence,Applicantfellintoa spiralinwhichhewasunable   topayhistaxobligation.Decisionat4.Applicanthasotherdebts,suchasajudgmentintheamount  ofabout$1,100andcollectionaccountsthattotalalittleover$2,000.    TheJudgesAnalysis  l   TheJudgecitedtoApplicantsunemployment,divorce,anddisability.Hestated,however, D! thatApplicanthadbegunmishandlinghisincometaxesbeforethesecircumstancesarose.TheJudge 0"  notedthatApplicanthadnotdemonstratedthathehadsettledhisdebtsorpaidamountsowed.He #l! citedtoAppealBoardprecedenttotheeffectthat,evenifanapplicanthaspaidorresolvedcertain $X" debts,aJudgemayconsiderthefactorsunderlyingthosedebtsforwhattheymayrevealaboutthe $D # applicantseligibilityforaclearance.TheJudgestatedthatthereisinsufficientevidenceexplaining %0!$ whyApplicantwasunabletomakegreaterprogressinresolvinghistaxissues. &"%   Inthewholepersonanalysis,theJudgenotedApplicantseducationalattainment;hismilitary (#' service,whichincludedtoursofdutyoverseas;andhischaracterevidence.However,heconcluded )$( thattheevidenceagainstgrantingaclearancewasmoresubstantial.HecitedtoApplicantsfailure |*%) tohavefiledhisreturnsformanyyearsandapaucityofevidencecorroboratinghisclaimsofdebt h+&* resolution.Hestatedthatmoredocumentationisnecessaryinordertoestablishmitigation. T,'+  @-(,   Discussion     Applicantsbriefincludesnewevidence,whichwecannotconsider.DirectiveE3.1.29.  Otherwise,itconstitutesachallengetotheJudgesweighingoftheevidence.However,anability t toargueforadifferentinterpretationoftheevidenceisnotsufficienttoshowthattheJudgeweighed ` theevidenceinamannerthatwasarbitrary,capricious,orcontrarytolaw.See,e.g.,_ISCR_ԀCase L  No.1508711at3(App.Bd.Aug.24,2017). 8    TheJudgeexaminedtherelevantevidenceandarticulatedasatisfactoryexplanationforthe  ` decision.Apersonwhofailsrepeatedlytofulfillhisorherlegalobligations,suchasfilingtax  L  returnsandpayingtaxeswhendue,doesnotdemonstratethehighdegreeofgoodjudgmentand  8  reliabilityrequiredofthosegrantedaccesstoclassifiedinformation.See,e.g.,_ISCR_ԀCaseNo.15 $  06707at3(App.Bd.Aug.15,2017).Thedecisionissustainableonthisrecord. Thegeneral   standardisthataclearancemaybegrantedonlywhenclearlyconsistentwiththeinterestsofthe   nationalsecurity.DepartmentoftheNavyv.Egan,484U.S.518,528(1988).SeealsoDirective,   Encl.2,App.A2(b): Anydoubtconcerningpersonnelbeingconsideredfornationalsecurity   eligibilitywillberesolvedinfavorofthenationalsecurity. p @( Order  H   TheDecisionis AFFIRMED .  p    `     h   Signed:Michael_Raanan_Ԁ $    `     h   Michael_Raanan_     `     h   AdministrativeJudge     `     h   Chairperson,AppealBoard     `     h   Signed:JamesE.Moody H!    `     h   JamesE.Moody 4"     `     h   AdministrativeJudge  #p!    `     h   Member,AppealBoard  $\"    `     h   Signed:JamesF.Duffy ' #&    `     h   JamesF.Duffy (#'    `     h   AdministrativeJudge )$(    `     h   Member,Appeal_Board___