Former IRS Contractor Gets 5-Year Sentence for Leaking Trump Tax Info
Charles Littlejohn, a former IRS contractor, has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to unlawfully disclosing tax returns and other sensitive financial information. Littlejohn admitted to sharing the tax details of former President Donald Trump, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and thousands of other Americans with media outlets including The New York Times and ProPublica. The leaks led to journalistic investigations and reports revealing how some of the wealthiest individuals in the United States paid minimal to no federal income taxes.
The sentencing, which represents the maximum penalty for the charge of unauthorized disclosure of income tax returns, was handed down by U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes. During the proceedings, Reyes described Littlejohn's actions as an attack on the nation's constitutional democracy and emphasized the sentence as a deterrent to similar crimes. Despite arguments from Littlejohn's defense attorneys, who cited his deep moral convictions and personal hardships as mitigating factors, the judge opted for a strict sentence. They had requested a more lenient prison term of eight to 18 months.
Justice Department officials characterized Littlejohn's breach of privacy as unprecedented, highlighting the gravity of the offense. Littlejohn's unauthorized access and distribution of confidential tax information occurred during his tenure with the IRS from 2018 to 2020, a period in which he destroyed evidence to cover his tracks. The case has stirred discussions about information security within government agencies and the ethical boundaries of public disclosure.
