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Case TitleCAUSE OF ACTION INSTITUTE v. INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2016cv01783
Date Filed2016-09-06
Date Closed2017-04-14
JudgeJudge Christopher R. Cooper
PlaintiffCAUSE OF ACTION INSTITUTE
Case DescriptionCause of Action submitted two FOIA requests to the IRS. The first request was for communications between several employees in the agency's Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division and three named individuals. After processing the request for nearly a year without a response, the IRS told Cause of Action it was closing its request because the records were not sufficiently described to allow the agency to conduct a search. Cause of Action contested that decision, but the agency issued a final response upholding its reason for closing the request. Cause of Action submitted a second FOIA request similar to the first but with a different time period. The agency again told Cause of Action that it could not search for the records as described. Cause of Action asked the agency to reopen its second request, but after failing to resolve the issue, Cause of Action filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Litigation - Vaughn index, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantINTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE
Documents
Docket
Complaint
Complaint attachment 1
Complaint attachment 2
Complaint attachment 3
Complaint attachment 4
Complaint attachment 5
Complaint attachment 6
Complaint attachment 7
Complaint attachment 8
Complaint attachment 9
Complaint attachment 10
Complaint attachment 11
Complaint attachment 12
Complaint attachment 13
Complaint attachment 14
Complaint attachment 15
Complaint attachment 16
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text
2016-09-061COMPLAINT against INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number 0090-4663053) filed by CAUSE OF ACTION INSTITUTE. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Ex 1, # 2 Exhibit Ex 2, # 3 Exhibit Ex 3, # 4 Exhibit Ex 4, # 5 Exhibit Ex 5, # 6 Exhibit Ex 6, # 7 Exhibit Ex 7, # 8 Exhibit Ex 8, # 9 Exhibit Ex 9, # 10 Exhibit Ex 10, # 11 Exhibit Ex 11, # 12 Exhibit Ex 12, # 13 Civil Cover Sheet, # 14 Summons IRS, # 15 Summons Atty Gen, # 16 Summons Clerk)(Smith, Julie) (Entered: 09/06/2016)
2016-09-062NOTICE of Appearance by Ryan Patrick Mulvey on behalf of CAUSE OF ACTION INSTITUTE (Mulvey, Ryan) (Entered: 09/06/2016)
2016-09-063LCvR 7.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by CAUSE OF ACTION INSTITUTE (Mulvey, Ryan) (Entered: 09/06/2016)
2016-09-06Case Assigned to Judge Christopher R. Cooper. (jd) (Entered: 09/07/2016)
2016-09-074REQUEST FOR SUMMONS TO ISSUE filed by CAUSE OF ACTION INSTITUTE.(Mulvey, Ryan) (Entered: 09/07/2016)
2016-09-075SUMMONS (3) Issued Electronically as to INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachment: # 1 Consent Forms)(jd) (Entered: 09/07/2016)
2016-09-096NOTICE of Appearance by Lee A. Steven on behalf of CAUSE OF ACTION INSTITUTE (Steven, Lee) (Entered: 09/09/2016)
2016-09-227RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE served on 9/9/2016 (Mulvey, Ryan) (Entered: 09/22/2016)
2016-09-228RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed on United States Attorney General. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney General 09/09/2016. (Mulvey, Ryan) (Entered: 09/22/2016)
2016-09-229RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed as to the United States Attorney. Date of Service Upon United States Attorney on 9/16/2016. Answer due for ALL FEDERAL DEFENDANTS by 10/16/2016. (Mulvey, Ryan) (Entered: 09/22/2016)
2016-10-0610NOTICE of Appearance by Nishant Kumar on behalf of INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (Kumar, Nishant) (Entered: 10/06/2016)
2016-10-1711ANSWER to Complaint by INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE.(Kumar, Nishant) (Entered: 10/17/2016)
2016-10-2712NOTICE of Appearance by Richard Jeremy Hagerman on behalf of INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (Hagerman, Richard) (Entered: 10/27/2016)
2016-12-20MINUTE ORDER: Before the Court in this FOIA case are a complaint and an answer. Since the requirements of LCvR 16.3 and Rule 26(f) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure do not apply, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties shall confer and file a joint proposed schedule for briefing or disclosure by January 6, 2017. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 12/20/2016. (lccrc3) (Entered: 12/20/2016)
2016-12-21Set/Reset Deadlines: Proposed Briefing Schedule due by 1/6/2017. (zlsj) (Entered: 12/21/2016)
2017-01-0613Joint STATUS REPORT by INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE. (Kumar, Nishant) (Entered: 01/06/2017)
2017-03-3014Joint STATUS REPORT by INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE. (Kumar, Nishant) (Entered: 03/30/2017)
2017-03-31MINUTE ORDER: In light of the parties' 14 Joint Status Report, it is hereby ORDERED that the parties submit another Joint Status Report on or before May 3, 2017. Signed by Judge Christopher R. Cooper on 3/31/2017. (lccrc3) (Entered: 03/31/2017)
2017-03-31Set/Reset Deadlines: Joint Status Report due by 5/3/2017. (mac) (Entered: 03/31/2017)
2017-04-1315STIPULATION of Dismissal by CAUSE OF ACTION INSTITUTE. (Mulvey, Ryan) (Entered: 04/13/2017)
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by FOIA Project Staff
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