A former contractor for the Internal Revenue Service, Charles Edward Littlejohn, has been charged with stealing and leaking tax information to news outlets about thousands of the country’s wealthiest people. The leak, which occurred between 2018 and 2020, included confidential tax return information dating back more than 15 years.
According to the Justice Department, Littlejohn stole the tax return information and gave it to two news outlets, which subsequently published numerous articles about the information. The outlets have not been named, but the description and time frame align with stories about former President Donald Trump’s tax returns in The New York Times and reporting about wealthy Americans’ taxes in the non-profit investigative journalism organization ProPublica.
The Times’ 2020 report found that Trump paid only $750 in federal income tax in the year he entered the White House, and no income tax at all in some years due to colossal losses. Six years of Trump’s returns were later released by the then-Democratically controlled House Ways and Means Committee.
ProPublica, on the other hand, reported in 2021 on a trove of tax-return data about the wealthiest Americans, revealing that the 25 richest people legally pay a smaller share of their income in taxes than many ordinary workers do. The stories sparked calls for reform and for an investigation into the leak of tax information, which has specific legal protections.
Donald Trump (Via Donald Trump/Twitter)
Littlejohn has been charged with one count of unauthorized disclosure of tax returns and return information, and faces up to five years in prison if convicted. The IRS has declined to comment specifically on the case, but Commissioner Danny Werfel has stated that “any disclosure of taxpayer information is unacceptable” and the agency has since tightened security.
The leaked tax information has raised concerns about national security and the potential for other confidential information to be compromised. The news outlets that received the leaked information have not commented on the charges, but have previously stated that they do not know the identity of the source. The FBI is investigating the leak, and Littlejohn’s lawyer has declined to comment on the charges.
The case highlights the importance of protecting confidential taxpayer information and the potential consequences for those who fail to do so. The IRS has strict rules in place to protect taxpayer information, and the agency takes violations of those rules very seriously.
The investigation into the leak is ongoing, and it is unclear what other information may have been compromised. Littlejohn is scheduled to appear in court at a later date to face the charges against him. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of taxpayer information and the potential legal consequences for those who violate that confidentiality.
