AN ACR CL65 FLC AT IAD RPTS A DISCREPANCY BTWN A MAINT LOG AND THE ACFT MEL AFTER THIS INFO WAS REQUESTED BY AN FAA ACR INSPECTOR RIDING ON THE JUMP SEAT.

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DURING THE BOARDING PROCESS IN IAD; AN FAA INSPECTOR CAME TO THE COCKPIT REQUESTING TO SIT IN THE JUMP SEAT FOR THE FLT TO CVG. THE CAPT AND I WERE BOTH EXTREMELY BUSY PREPARING FOR THE RETURN FLT DUE TO BEING 1 HR LATE. THE FAA JUMP SEATER ASKED FOR THE MAINT LOG AND UPON RECEIVING IT; REVIEWED THE WRITE-UP MAINT ENTRIES. HE ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT 1 OF THE WRITTEN UP ENTRIES AND ASKED THE CAPT TO LOOK UP THE MEL ITEM. THE CAPT; IN THE MIDDLE OF PERFORMING HIS DUTIES; REACHED INTO HIS FLT BAG AND PULLED OUT HIS MEL. AFTER LOOKING FOR THE PARTICULAR ITEM; HE COULD NOT FIND IT. AT THAT POINT THE ACFT WAS BOARDED AND READY FOR DEP. THE FAA JUMP SEATER MADE THE COMMENT THAT SINCE THE SYS WAS OPTIONAL FOR THE ACFT; THAT THE WORDING SHOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT AND MADE NO FURTHER COMMENTS ABOUT THE MEL. THE SYS WAS NOT INSTALLED ON THE ACFT. THE FLT DEPARTED AND AFTER THE ARR IN CVG; THE FAA JUMP SEATER SAID GOOD-BYE AND DEPARTED. THE CAPT DID NOT FEEL THAT THE MEL COVERED THAT SYS SUFFICIENTLY SO HE TOOK HIS MEL OUT AGAIN. AT THIS POINT IN TIME HE REALIZED THAT HIS MEL REVISION WAS IN HIS FLT BAG AND HE HAD NOT FOUND THE ITEM IN THE ORIGINAL MEL WHICH HE ACCIDENTALLY GRABBED THE FIRST TIME FOR THE FAA INSPECTOR.