Richardson, a taxpayer interested in activities of the Central Intelligence Agency, sued the government to provide records detailing the CIA's expenditures.
Does a federal taxpayer have standing to force the government to disclose expenditures of the CIA?
The Court held that Richardson did not have standing to sue. Using the two-pronged standing test of Flast v. Cohen (1968), Chief Justice Burger found that there was no "logical nexus between the status asserted [by Richardson as a taxpayer] and the claim sought to be adjudicated." It was clear to Burger that Richardson was not "a proper and appropriate party to invoke federal judicial power" on this issue.
Decisions
Decision: 5 votes for United States, 4 vote(s) against Legal provision:
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Full Opinion by Justice Warren E. Burger
