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“Political Hit Job”: Trump Sues U.S. Government for $10B Over Tax Data Leak
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U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, alleging the agencies failed to protect confidential tax records that were later leaked to media outlets.
The complaint, filed Thursday in Miami federal court, accuses the agencies of failing to implement “mandatory precautions” that could have prevented former IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn from disclosing tax return data belonging to Trump, his family, and associated businesses in 2019 and 2020.
Trump Lawsuit Targets Agencies Over Media Disclosures
The lawsuit claims the disclosures caused reputational damage, financial harm, and public embarrassment. Additionally, it alleges the leaked records were provided to investigative outlets including The New York Times and ProPublica, which subsequently published reports based on the data.
Plaintiffs in the case include Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, as well as the family business, the Trump Organization.
A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team said the IRS allowed a “rogue, politically motivated employee” to release confidential information to media outlets, which was then disseminated to the public.
The lawsuit was filed days after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly terminated contracts with consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton tied to Littlejohn’s work. Littlejohn, 40, is currently serving a five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in October 2023 to unlawfully disclosing tax return information.
Court filings cite a 2024 deposition in which Littlejohn admitted sharing Trump-related business tax data with ProPublica, as well as tax data related to other wealthy individuals.
Disputes Over Reporting And Interpretation
The complaint also challenges interpretations made in published reporting. It argues that media coverage implied potential fraud based on expert commentary.
In ProPublica’s reporting, the reference to potential “versions of fraud” was attributed to a University of California Berkeley finance professor, who was among multiple real estate professionals interviewed about inconsistencies found in documents.
Legal experts have noted that it is highly unusual for a sitting president to sue agencies within his own administration. The size of the damages sought, at least $10 billion, is also expected to draw scrutiny around potential conflicts of interest and legal precedent.
The case follows earlier reports that Trump previously sought roughly $230 million in damages from the Department of Justice over past investigations.
Separate $5 Billion Lawsuit Targets Major Bank
Just over a week ago, Trump also filed a separate lawsuit against banking giant JPMorgan Chase and its CEO Jamie Dimon, seeking $5 billion in damages over claims the bank terminated services to Trump and his businesses for political reasons.
That lawsuit, filed in Miami-Dade County court, alleges JPMorgan abruptly closed multiple accounts in February 2021, shortly after Trump left office, giving only 60 days’ notice.
The filing alleges the bank placed Trump and affiliated businesses on an internal reputational “blacklist” as well, which allegedly affected their ability to access financial services elsewhere. JPMorgan said in a statement that it believes the lawsuit lacks merit.
Trump claims those closures disrupted business operations and forced his companies to scramble to establish new banking relationships.
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“Political Hit Job”: Trump Sues U.S. Government for $10B Over Tax Data Leak
Share:
U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, alleging the agencies failed to protect confidential tax records that were later leaked to media outlets.
The complaint, filed Thursday in Miami federal court, accuses the agencies of failing to implement “mandatory precautions” that could have prevented former IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn from disclosing tax return data belonging to Trump, his family, and associated businesses in 2019 and 2020.
Trump Lawsuit Targets Agencies Over Media Disclosures
The lawsuit claims the disclosures caused reputational damage, financial harm, and public embarrassment. Additionally, it alleges the leaked records were provided to investigative outlets including The New York Times and ProPublica, which subsequently published reports based on the data.
Plaintiffs in the case include Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, as well as the family business, the Trump Organization.
A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team said the IRS allowed a “rogue, politically motivated employee” to release confidential information to media outlets, which was then disseminated to the public.
The lawsuit was filed days after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly terminated contracts with consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton tied to Littlejohn’s work. Littlejohn, 40, is currently serving a five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in October 2023 to unlawfully disclosing tax return information.
Court filings cite a 2024 deposition in which Littlejohn admitted sharing Trump-related business tax data with ProPublica, as well as tax data related to other wealthy individuals.
Disputes Over Reporting And Interpretation
The complaint also challenges interpretations made in published reporting. It argues that media coverage implied potential fraud based on expert commentary.
In ProPublica’s reporting, the reference to potential “versions of fraud” was attributed to a University of California Berkeley finance professor, who was among multiple real estate professionals interviewed about inconsistencies found in documents.
Legal experts have noted that it is highly unusual for a sitting president to sue agencies within his own administration. The size of the damages sought, at least $10 billion, is also expected to draw scrutiny around potential conflicts of interest and legal precedent.
The case follows earlier reports that Trump previously sought roughly $230 million in damages from the Department of Justice over past investigations.
Separate $5 Billion Lawsuit Targets Major Bank
Just over a week ago, Trump also filed a separate lawsuit against banking giant JPMorgan Chase and its CEO Jamie Dimon, seeking $5 billion in damages over claims the bank terminated services to Trump and his businesses for political reasons.
That lawsuit, filed in Miami-Dade County court, alleges JPMorgan abruptly closed multiple accounts in February 2021, shortly after Trump left office, giving only 60 days’ notice.
The filing alleges the bank placed Trump and affiliated businesses on an internal reputational “blacklist” as well, which allegedly affected their ability to access financial services elsewhere. JPMorgan said in a statement that it believes the lawsuit lacks merit.
Trump claims those closures disrupted business operations and forced his companies to scramble to establish new banking relationships.
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