Mindell

MEMORANDUM ORDER AND FINDINGS RE: MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

This matter comes before the Court on the motions of both parties for summary judgment. The Court having considered the papers filed in support thereof and in opposition thereto and having heard oral argument.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that defendant’s motion is GRANTED and plaintiff’s motion is DENIED.

The Court finds as follows:

FACTS

This case arises from the alleged breach by the government of a taxpayer’s right to have his returns kept confidential. Plaintiff, Earl Mindell, claims that the government violated this right by providing excessive discovery of his tax returns in a case brought against it by a third party.

The material facts are not in dispute. Mindell’s returns were disclosed in a lawsuit brought against the government by Randall Goulding. Randall S. Goulding v. United States, Civ. No. 83 C 5692 (N.D. Ill.). Goulding is a Chicago tax attorney who prepared the returns for a partnership in which Mindell was a limited partner. The K-l partnership tax schedule prepared by Goulding was utilized by Mindell and the 83 other partners in submitting their individual tax returns. Based on unspecified…