WPCf  2kpڮ %iR[lL=GNJq7˫vB׌ $̯] =6.Z 'O?%gJ 'h {U|(#;-bE lQ0vbpRAj28¶VBV6lݷzi4vSK m]ƙSŀ?i9BiVZf4k3#)Js-֡\psi_3KIR(xX@2.}$%|eV A*h1;ix%+^`877S<_ **]v :aE*r4p0 7cmVȦowZϙ#ޛDәkaFɌl<&3WN Ӱ,SSkpd(N1&wk-&;M-Pn1eEwǒ1uG[Xy Z#UN % 0: ZC ^ w 4   m Z NC C C EE NG G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G BI Hewlett-Packard HP LaserJet P3010 Series0(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularX($USUS.,8DocumentManagement::ModifiedBooleanTRUEhKK;EJntFold3|xU8DocumentManagement::ModifiedBooleanTRUE d !USUS.,  _KEYWORD:GuidelineF  DIGEST:Anabilitytoargueforanalternativeweighingoftheevidenceisnotsufficienttoshow  thattheJudgeweighedtheevidenceinamannerthatwasarbitrary,capricious,orcontraryto t law.Adversedecisionaffirmed. ` _CASENO_:1601750.a1 8  DATE:10/11/2017  ` ________________________   `     h      p DATE:October11,2017  L  .؉7r(#(#.AY) xdEgA   InRe:     _Ԅ._     k ApplicantforSecurityClearance C AY) xdEgA k )   )   )   ) p ) \ ) H ) 4 )  p   \ pX p _ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1601750 p!  \" .؉7r. \XXp 4"    APPEALBOARDDECISION  # APPEARANCES &  &#%XX FORGOVERNMENT  l( JamesB.Norman,Esq.,ChiefDepartmentCounsel D )  FORAPPLICANT  !D+ ShawnC.Graham,Esq.#XX%&## ",     TheDepartmentofDefense(DoD)declinedtograntApplicantasecurityclearance.On |% / October5,2016,DoDissuedastatementofreasons(_SOR_)advisingApplicantofthebasisforthat h&!0 decision!securityconcernsraisedunderGuidelineF(FinancialConsiderations)ofDepartmentof T'"1 DefenseDirective5220.6(Jan.2,1992,asamended)(Directive).Applicantrequestedahearing. @(#2 OnJuly5,2017,afterthehearing,DefenseOfficeofHearingsandAppeals(DOHA)Administrative ,)|$3 JudgeDarleneD._Lokey_ԀAndersondeniedApplicantsrequestforasecurityclearance.Applicant *h%4 appealedpursuanttoDirectiveE3.1.28andE3.1.30. +T&5   Applicantraisedthefollowingissueonappeal:whethertheJudgesadversedecisionwas ,,(7 arbitrary,capricious,orcontrarytolaw.Consistentwiththefollowing,weaffirm. -)8 Ї  TheJudgesFindingsofFact     Applicanthasworkedforhiscurrentemployersince2014andhasworkedintheDefense t industryfornearly35years.Hehasheldaclearancesince2000.Applicants_SOR_Ԁcontainsone ` allegation,thatheowestheIRSabout$32,000fortaxyears2011through2013.Healsooweshis L  stateabout$6,500indelinquenttaxes.Applicantsdifficultieswerecausedbyhisnothaving 8  sufficientwithholdingfromtheprofitsarisingfromarealestatesale.Heexperiencedsome $ t unemploymentpriortohiscurrentjobandexhaustedhissavingsinordertopayhislivingexpenses.  ` Hewasnotabletomakehiscurrentpaymentsaswellasdischargehistaxobligations.  L    ApplicanthasnowpaidtheIRSfortaxyears2011and2012.However,hecurrentlyowes $  alittleover$30,000fortaxesduefor2013andfor2015.HesetupapaymentplanwiththeIRS   afterhereceivedthe_SOR_.Thisplan,whichtheagencyhasapproved,requireshimtopay$388a   month,althoughApplicanthadnotstartedmakingpaymentsbythecloseoftherecord.     TheJudgesAnalysis  p   TheJudgenotedApplicantsunemployment,whichwasbeyondhiscontrol.Sheconcluded, H however,thathehadnotactedresponsiblyinregardtohistaxproblem,inlightofevidencethathe 4 didnotstartpayinghisdebtsuntilhereceivedthe_SOR_.ShecitedtoApplicantsagreementwith  p theIRS.However,sincehehadnotstartedactuallycomplyingwiththeplan,theJudgeconcluded  \ thathehasnotdemonstratedthathissecuritysignificantconductisbeingresolved.Inthewhole H personanalysis,theJudgecitedtoApplicantsmanyyearsofworkingintheDefenseindustry. 4 Despitethis,Applicantstaxdelinquenciessuggestthathehasnotshownthelevelofjudgment   necessaryforonewhohasaccesstoclassifiedinformation.     Discussion     AlthoughApplicantstyledhisfirstassignmentoferrorasachallengetothesufficiencyof l theJudgesfindingsoffact,thetenorofhisargumentappearstobethatshedidnotextend X  appropriateweighttofavorableevidence,suchashisIRSpaymentplanandtheeffortsheundertook D! toobtainitsapproval,alongwithevidencethathehasthefinancialresourcestopayoffhistaxdebts 0"  shouldtheplannotbesufficientlymitigating.Anabilitytoargueforanalternativeweighingofthe #l! evidenceisnotsufficienttoshowthattheJudgeweighedtheevidenceinamannerthatwasarbitrary, $X" capricious,orcontrarytolaw.See,e.g.,ISCRCaseNo.1508711at3(App.Bd.Aug.24,2017). $D # TotheextentthatApplicanthaschallengedthesufficiencyofthefindings,weconcludethatthe %0!$ Judgesmaterialfindings aresupportedbysuchrelevantevidenceasareasonablemindmight &"% acceptasadequatetosupportaconclusioninlightofallthecontraryevidenceinthesamerecord. '#& DirectiveE3.1.32.1. (#'   TheJudgeexaminedtherelevantevidenceandarticulatedasatisfactoryexplanationforthe |*%) decision,bothastothemitigatingconditionsandthewholepersonfactors.Thedecisionis h+&* sustainableonthisrecord.Apersonwhofailstofulfilllegalobligations,suchaspayingtaxeswhen T,'+ due,maybelackinginthejudgmentandreliabilityrequiredofthosewithaccesstoclassified @-(, information.See,e.g.,_ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1506707at3(App.Bd.Aug.15,2017). Thegeneral  standardisthataclearancemaybegrantedonlywhenclearlyconsistentwiththeinterestsofthe  nationalsecurity.DepartmentoftheNavyv.Egan,484U.S.518,528(1988).SeealsoDirective,  Encl.2,App.A2(b): Anydoubtconcerningpersonnelbeingconsideredfornationalsecurity t eligibilitywillberesolvedinfavorofthenationalsecurity. ` @( Order  8    TheDecisionis AFFIRMED .  `    `     h   Signed:Michael_Raanan_Ԁ      `     h   Michael_Raanan_      `     h   AdministrativeJudge      `     h   Chairperson,AppealBoard      `     h   Signed:JamesE.Moody 8    `     h   JamesE.Moody $t    `     h   AdministrativeJudge `    `     h   Member,AppealBoard L    `     h   Signed:JamesF.Duffy__     `     h   JamesF.Duffy     `     h   AdministrativeJudge     `     h   Member,Appeal_Board___ p