Opinion ID: 147535
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Counts VIII and X

Text: The district court held that Counts VIII and Xalleging the retaliatory denial of a performance bonus in 2001 and the receipt of a needs improvement performance assessment in 2002constituted res judicata because both claims had been adjudicated in Porter I 's Show Cause Discharge Order, which rejected Porter's claim that USAID violated the non-retaliation injunction as it found no evidence of contempt in the record. Show Cause Discharge Order at 2. We agree with the district court that the Show Cause Discharge Order rendered the two claims res judicata. `Under the doctrine of res judicata, or claim preclusion, a subsequent lawsuit will be barred if there has been prior litigation (1) involving the same claims or cause of action, (2) between the same parties or their privies, and (3) there has been a final, valid judgment on the merits, (4) by a court of competent jurisdiction.' Capitol Hill Group v. Pillsbury, Winthrop, Shaw, Pittman, LLC, 569 F.3d 485, 490 (D.C.Cir.2009) (quoting Smalls v. United States, 471 F.3d 186, 192 (D.C.Cir.2006)). Counts VIII and X meet all of these requirements. Porter's failure to secure a bonus and his adverse rating were both litigated in the post-judgment proceeding in Porter I by the same parties (Porter and USAID) and the district court issued a final decision on the claims' merits, finding no retaliation because Porter was not entitled to a bonus or an Excellent rating. As the district court below explained: The record in Porter I reflects that the parties fully briefed and provided evidentiary support on the issue of whether those acts constituted retaliation, and a member of this Court weighed the factual evidence proffered and rendered a judgment on the merits of those matters. The plaintiff having been afforded the opportunity to litigate his retaliations claims as to the 2001 bonus and 2002 performance evaluation on the merits in his 2000 lawsuit against the defendant, and having received the equivalent of a final judgment on the merits rendered by a court of competent jurisdiction on these same claims he seeks to pursue in this case, the Court finds that Counts VIII and X are barred by the doctrine of res judicata. 601 F.Supp.2d at 217. Porter asserts res judicata should not apply because he was not given a full and fair opportunity to litigate the merits. See Nixon v. United States, 978 F.2d 1269, 1298 (D.C.Cir.1992) (Henderson, J., concurring) (To apply res judicata, the litigants or their privies must have had a full and fair opportunity to raise the claim in an earlier proceeding.). In particular, Porter claims he should have been afforded discovery and an evidentiary hearing. But Porter was not entitled to discovery or an evidentiary hearing as a matter of right; whether to afford him either one was a matter within the trial court's discretion. See Ned Chartering & Trading, Inc. v. Republic of Pakistan, 294 F.3d 148, 151 n. 1 (D.C.Cir.2002) (decision to hold an oral hearing is committed to `the discretion of the court' (quoting then D.D.C. Local Rule 7.1(f) (now D.C.D. LCvR 78.1))); Ikossi v. Dep't of Navy, 516 F.3d 1037, 1040 (D.C.Cir.2008) (court reviews denial of discovery for abuse of discretion). He had the opportunity toand didsubmit extensive documentary evidence. If he felt the court abused its discretion in failing to afford him discovery or a hearing, he could have appealed the court's discharge of the show cause order, asserting abuse of discretion. Because he forwent the opportunity to appeal, the two claims decided against him in Porter I are res judicata here. [3]