PSH-21-0049 - In the Matter of Personnel Security Hearing

On June 28, 2021, an Administrative Judge determined that an Individual should be granted access authorization under 10 C.F.R. Part 710. The Individual completed a Questionnaire for National Security Positions (QNSP) in October 2019. The Individual disclosed   on   the QNSP that he did not file federal or state personal income tax returns for the 2015 tax year. The Individual also disclosed two unpaid debts in collections on which he owed a cumulative $341. The Local Security Office (LSO) issued the Individual a letter of interrogatory (LOI) concerning his financial circumstances. In his response to the LOI, the Individual indicated that he did not intend to repay his delinquent debts because he believed that doing so would extend the length of time for which the delinquencies appeared on his credit report. At the hearing, the Individual demonstrated that he had filed federal and state personal income tax returns for 2015, timely filed personal income tax returns for all subsequent tax years, and did not owe unpaid taxes. The Individual testified that he incurred the two delinquent debts while in graduate school in 2014 and that since that time he had learned a great deal about managing his finances. The Individual demonstrated that he had paid his delinquent debts, had not incurred any other delinquencies, and was financially stable and able to meet his obligations. As the Individual had resolved the derogatory financial information identified by the LSO and had established years of responsible behavior with respect to his finances, the Administrative Judge concluded that the Individual had mitigated the security concerns asserted by the LSO under Guideline F. Therefore, the Administrative Judge concluded that the Individual should be granted access authorization. OHA Case No. PSH-21-0049 (Phillip Harmonick).