WPC 6+al=9toy]=/RkH?я#!x4{-$LL٨dX+ p| V?ձ<edcWBd%֣eL!Ahh+&Qfg*ٮcŪMF/7o`Fú\3v bYi>׃⦀j>V[(īK+~PJ^6њwwwZoM{L8eb׎#̼/ex2iIbY}aD, 4=1e[fDreLS 8_ }Y7U ^bv)) ƨL=T?rY3T]r x!.0_;/b- +3;_cF,3-[O\-C;fm=T羰'&2dMXBJہyЬ _~/M-Ď)D#g}2DBsZ#UN % 0: ZC ^ w 4   m Z EC UNE 0 < 0D N BHewlett-Packard HP LaserJet P3010 Series0(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularX($USUS.,8DocumentManagement::ModifiedBooleanTRUEwx(K;EJntFold3|xU8DocumentManagement::ModifiedBooleanTRUE(9 Z 6Times New Roman Regular(Y(24$ !USUS.,  XX      0   u 4$USUS.,XX      1    _Thecopyofthe_SOR_Ԁcontainedintherecordisundated.Wehavederivedthisdatefromthecoverletterto  Applicantthataccompaniedthe_SOR_.(#$  0   d !USUS.,  _KEYWORD:GuidelineF  DIGEST:WeremandthecasetotheJudgeforhimtogivethepartiesanopportunitytoaddress  thepotentialapplicabilityofEncl.2,App.A20(g)andissueanewDecisioninaccordance t withtheDirective.OtherissuesraisedbyApplicantarenotripeforconsideration.Adverse ` decisionremanded. L  _CASENO_:1600517.a1 $ t DATE:09/08/2017  L     `     h      p DATE:September8,2017  8  .؉7r(#(#.AY) xdEgA   InRe:        W ApplicantforSecurityClearance / AY) xdEgA W )   )   ) p ) \ ) H ) 4 )  p )  \  H pX p _ISCR_ԀCaseNo.1600517 \"  H# .؉7r. \XXp  #    APPEALBOARDDECISION  $ APPEARANCES '  &%XX FORGOVERNMENT  X ) JamesB.Norman,Esq.,ChiefDepartmentCounsel 0!*  FORAPPLICANT  "0, RyanC._Nerney_,Esq.#XpX%&h# #-     TheDepartmentofDefense(DoD)declinedtograntApplicantasecurityclearance.OnMay h&!0 31,2016, #  1      ׀DoDissuedastatementofreasons(_SOR_)advisingApplicantofthebasisforthat T'"1 decision!securityconcernsraisedunderGuidelineF(FinancialConsiderations)ofDepartmentof @(#2 DefenseDirective5220.6(Jan.2,1992,asamended)(Directive).Applicantrequestedahearing. ,)|$3 OnJune7,2017,afterthehearing,DefenseOfficeofHearingsandAppeals(DOHA)Administrative *h%4 JudgeMichaelH.LeonarddeniedApplicantsrequestforasecurityclearance.Applicantappealed  pursuanttoDirectiveE3.1.28andE3.1.30.    Applicantraisedthefollowingissuesonappeal:whetherApplicantwasdenieddueprocess t andwhethertheJudgesadversedecisionwasarbitrary,capricious,orcontrarytolaw.Consistent ` withthefollowing,weremandthecasetotheJudge. L    TheJudgesFindingsofFact  $ t   Aretiredcareermilitaryofficer,ApplicantexperiencedunderemploymentfromOctober2014  L  toMarch2016,whenhebeganhiscurrentjobasaDefensecontractor.Asaconsequence,Applicant  8  hasexperiencedfinancialproblems.Healsostatedthathisdifficultieswereaffectedbycommuting $  expenses,additionallivingexpensesnecessitatedbyajobrelocation,increasedutilitiesexpenses,   thecostsofhischildsextracurricularactivities,andtripsforfamilyhealthconcerns.The_SOR_   listedanumberofdelinquentdebts,mostofwhichtheJudgeresolvedinApplicantsfavor.   However,twodebts!pastduetaxestotheIRSandawagegarnishment!resultedintheadverse   decisionthatApplicantisappealing. p   Applicantdidnotdisclosehistaxdelinquenciesonhissecurityclearanceapplication, H althoughhedidsoduringhissubsequentclearanceinterview.Whilehestatedthathewasona 4 paymentplanwiththeIRStopay$12,000intaxesfor2008,additionalevidenceshowedthatinfact  p heowedover$20,000for2009through2015.Healsoowesabout$1,800tohisstatetaxauthorities.  \ ApplicantiscurrentlypayingtheIRSthroughagarnishmentfromhiswifeswages.Ifthepayment H isincreasedtoacertainamount,thentheIRSwillconsiderestablishinganinstallmentplan 4 agreement.     Applicantandhiswifeearnedafairlyhighincomeduringthisperiod.Theircurrentnet  monthlyincomeisnearly$11,000andtheirpositivenetremainderafterexpensesisnearly$900.  Applicantnowhasmorefundsavailabletohimbecauseheisnolongerbudgetingforhischilds  collegeexpenses. l   TheJudgesAnalysis  D!   TheJudgenotedthatApplicantspaymentstotheIRShave notbeenpurelyvoluntary, #l! insofarastheyhavebeenaccomplishedthroughgarnishment.TheJudgestatedthatApplicants $X" circumstancessuggestthathehasaproblemcomplyingwithgovernmentalrulesandregulations. $D # TheJudgecitedtoevidenceofApplicantsunderemploymentbutalsoconcludedthat,onthewhole, %0!$ hehadthemeanstopayhistaxdebt,givenhisandhiswifescombinedincomes.Heconcludedthat &"% Applicantstaxproblemscreatedoubtabouthistrustworthinessandgoodjudgment. '#&   Discussion  )$(   ApplicantnotesthattheDecisionwasissuedonedaybeforetheeffectivedateofthenew h+&* AdjudicativeGuidelinespromulgatedbytheFederalGovernment.HestatesthattheJudgeshould T,'+ haveconsideredtheseupdatedGuidelinesinanalyzinghiscaseformitigation,specifically, @-(, Directive,Encl.2,App.A20(g)( [_T]he_Ԁindividualhasmadearrangementswiththeappropriate  taxauthorityto...paytheamountowedandisincompliancewiththosearrangements.He  contendsthatpaymentstotheIRSthroughgarnishmentofhiswifeswagesaresufficienttoraise  theapplicabilityofthismitigatingcondition.WenoteApplicantstestimonythatheisseekingan t installmentplanwiththeIRSbutsofarhasnotbeenabletoreachanagreementastotheamount. ` Inthemeantime,thegarnishmentactionremainsineffect.TheJudgefoundthat,werethegarnished L  amounttobeincreasedfromitscurrentlevelto$241perpayperiod,theIRSwouldthenconsider 8  enteringintoaninstallmentplan.Decisionat5.Underthefactsofthiscase,asimilarlysituated $ t applicantmighthaveraisedtheapplicabilityof20(g)atthehearingaspartofhisorhercasein  ` mitigation.  L    Giventhatmitigatingcondition20(g)wasnotinforceatthetimetheJudgecompletedhis $  Decision,hisfailuretohaveaddresseditisnotsurprisingandcannotplausiblybeattributedtoerror   onhispart.However,throughnofaultoftheJudgesown,theDecisionasitstandsdoesnotadhere   totheprocedurescurrentlymandatedbytheDirective.SeeDirectiveE3.1.32.2.Seealso_ISCR_   CaseNo.000489at8(App.Bd.Jan.10,2002)(Securityclearancedecisionsmustbebasedon   current,notpast,DoDpoliciesandstandards).Accordingly,weremandthecasetotheJudgefor p himtogivethepartiesanopportunitytoaddressthepotentialapplicabilityofthismitigating \ conditionandissueanewDecisioninaccordancewiththeDirective.Otherissuesraisedby H Applicantarenotripeforconsideration. 4 @( Order   \   TheDecisionis REMANDED . 4 @*XpXXXpԈ   `     h   Signed:MichaelY._Raanan_Ԁ     `     h   MichaelY._Raanan_     `     h   AdministrativeJudge p    `     h   Chairperson,AppealBoard \     `     h   Signed:JamesE.Moody  $\"    `     h   JamesE.Moody $H #    `     h   AdministrativeJudge %4!$    `     h   Member,AppealBoard & "%    `     h   Signed:JamesF.Duffy *%)    `     h   JamesF.Duffy l+&*    `     h   AdministrativeJudge X,'+    `     h   Member,AppealBoard#XpXXXp"# D-(,