A former government contractor who leaked confidential tax records of the wealthiest Americans, including those of President Donald Trump, was sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison, described as "the biggest heist in IRS history," by a federal judge.
Charged with One Count of Unauthorized Income Tax Disclosure
In October, Charles Littlejohn, 38, pleaded guilty to one charge of unauthorized disclosure of income tax returns. As per his plea agreement, he admitted to leaking Trump's confidential tax information to the New York Times in 2019 and repeating this action the following year, providing tax returns and financial data of thousands of wealthy Americans to ProPublica while employed by a consulting firm with contracts with the Internal Revenue Service. The news organizations then published reports revealing how Trump and other wealthy individuals paid little or no federal taxes for years.
Attack on Constitutional Democracy
After Littlejohn leaked the information to the news outlets, he deleted the documents from his IRS-assigned laptop before returning it. He covered his digital tracks by deleting the original storage locations.
Judge Ana Reyes emphasized the severity of the crime, stating, "What you did in attacking the sitting president of the United States was an attack on our constitutional democracy. We're talking about someone who pulled off the biggest heist in IRS history."
The judge compared Littlejohn's actions when the rioters stormed the Capitol on January 6, which is a threat to democracy that engenders the same fear. Reyes stated that judges must convey a clear message that targeting elected officials will not be tolerated and that an independent and steadfast judiciary is ready to punish those prioritizing personal political beliefs over the law.
Just the "Tip of an Iceberg"
At Monday's hearing, Jonathan Jacobson, a federal prosecutor, stated that "the tax returns are just the tip of the iceberg." Littlejohn also leaked other sensitive financial information submitted to the IRS by some wealthiest Americans, including details on investments, stock trades, gambling winnings, or audit determinations for approximately 18,000 individuals.
Only 152 victims have had their information included in online reports, which leaves the remaining individuals wondering if their data will be made public in the future, as stated by U.S. officials.
Final Verdict of Imprisonment
Littlejohn took extensive measures to steal tax records without being detected, exploiting system loopholes, downloading data to an Apple iPod, and uploading the information to a private website that he later deleted. Reyes also criticized the Justice Department for bringing only one count against Littlejohn, but prosecutors argued that the one count covered the multitude of Littlejohn's thefts and leaks.
According to the court filing, a free press and public engagement with the media are essential for a healthy democracy. However, stealing and leaking private tax information strips individuals of legal protection for their most sensitive data. Hence, it recommended the sentence of Littlejohn to the maximum of five years in prison.
In court on Monday, Littlejohn claimed he acted sincerely misguidedly, asserting he served the country and that people had a right to the tax information, adding that well-informed decisions are crucial for the country. Littlejohn acknowledged being aware of the potential consequences and anticipated facing them in federal court one day, admitting his actions undermined the fragile faith in U.S. government institutions.
