US President Donald Trump and his two sons have filed a billion-dollar lawsuit against the federal government over leaks of their business and personal tax returns. The civil complaint, filed in Miami federal court, seeks $10bn (£7.25bn) in damages. The Trump family accuses the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - the US-wide tax body - and the Treasury Department of failing to prevent the disclosure of 'confidential, personal financial information' by a former IRS contractor.
The contractor, Charles 'Chaz' Littlejohn, is serving a five-year prison sentence after being convicted of leaking the tax disclosures to US media outlets. Ahead of the 2016 election, Trump expressed that he would not release his tax returns due to an audit, a stance he maintained for the 2020 re-election campaign.
However, in September 2020, The New York Times published an extensive report revealing Trump paid only $750 in federal income taxes the year he won the presidency and none in 10 of the previous 15 years. In 2022, Trump released the documents himself.
The lawsuit claims that both the IRS and Treasury Department 'had a duty to safeguard and protect' such disclosures from being shared publicly but 'failed to take such mandatory precautions'. The family asserts that they suffered reputational and financial harm due to the leaks, which 'unfairly tarnished' their business image and affected their public standing.
Littlejohn pleaded guilty in 2023 to stealing tax data from Trump and thousands of wealthy Americans while working as an IRS contractor. He was sentenced to maximum prison time in 2024 for his offense, with the lawsuit accusing him of using his access to tax data to promote his personal political agenda. The case raises significant concerns about privacy, the responsibility of government agencies, and the implications of unauthorized disclosures.
The contractor, Charles 'Chaz' Littlejohn, is serving a five-year prison sentence after being convicted of leaking the tax disclosures to US media outlets. Ahead of the 2016 election, Trump expressed that he would not release his tax returns due to an audit, a stance he maintained for the 2020 re-election campaign.
However, in September 2020, The New York Times published an extensive report revealing Trump paid only $750 in federal income taxes the year he won the presidency and none in 10 of the previous 15 years. In 2022, Trump released the documents himself.
The lawsuit claims that both the IRS and Treasury Department 'had a duty to safeguard and protect' such disclosures from being shared publicly but 'failed to take such mandatory precautions'. The family asserts that they suffered reputational and financial harm due to the leaks, which 'unfairly tarnished' their business image and affected their public standing.
Littlejohn pleaded guilty in 2023 to stealing tax data from Trump and thousands of wealthy Americans while working as an IRS contractor. He was sentenced to maximum prison time in 2024 for his offense, with the lawsuit accusing him of using his access to tax data to promote his personal political agenda. The case raises significant concerns about privacy, the responsibility of government agencies, and the implications of unauthorized disclosures.
