Opinion ID: 430594
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Letters As Accountings of Disclosures of Airman Files

Text: 37 The appellees argue that, even if the letters are disclosures covered by the Privacy Act, they do not violate the Act because they were accountings required by the Act itself. Under the Act 38 [e]ach agency, with respect to each system of records under its control shall-- 39 (1) ... keep an accurate accounting of-- 40 (A) the date, nature, and purpose of each disclosure of a record to any person or to another agency ... 41 (B) the name and address of the person or agency to whom the disclosure is made; [and] 42 .... 43 (3) ... make the accounting under paragraph (1) of this subsection available to the individual named in the record at his request. 44 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552a(c). Bartel responds that the Act only prescribes dissemination of accountings upon request by the inspectors whose files he obtained, and that the FAA's sua sponte decision to send the letters was thus not required. 45 In this case, however, we need not decide if sua sponte dissemination of accountings is permitted by the Act or if so under what conditions. Even if we agreed with the appellees that the sua sponte action of the FAA in informing individuals that their files have been wrongfully disclosed--to the extent of revealing the person to whom they were disclosed and the purpose of the disclosure--does not violate the Act, we cannot dismiss Bartel's claim on that ground. The recipients of the Vincent letters were statutorily entitled at most to an accurate accounting provided for by the Act. 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552a(c). The Vincent letters, however, divulge more than the statutory prescribed name, address and reason for disclosure of the airman files. They indicate the fact that Bartel was investigated, that the investigation led to some determination of impropriety, and even that Bartel may have acted criminally in gaining access to the addressees' airman files. 19 Therefore we reject the appellees' attempts to characterize them as mere accountings of disclosures provided for by the Act. 46