By Brett Rowland (The Heart Sq.)
A former IRS contractor accused of leaking former President Donald Trump’s tax returns and disclosing tax return data for among the nation’s wealthiest individuals pleaded responsible Thursday.
Charles Littlejohn, 38, of Washington, D.C., pleaded responsible Thursday to disclosing tax return data with out authorization. He faces as much as 5 years in jail at a sentencing listening to set for Jan. 29, 2024
Littlejohn, whereas working on the IRS as a contractor, stole tax return data related to Trump and others. Littlejohn accessed tax returns related to Trump on an IRS database “after utilizing broad search parameters designed to hide the true goal of his queries,” based on the U.S. Division of Justice. He then evaded IRS protocols to detect and stop giant downloads or uploads from its methods.
Prosecutors stated Littlejohn then saved the tax returns to a number of private storage units, together with an iPod, earlier than contacting a information outlet. Between round August 2019 and October 2019, Littlejohn supplied the information outlet with the tax return data related to Trump. Littlejohn then stole extra tax return data associated to Trump and supplied it to the identical information group, which isn’t named within the indictment.
Associated: Democrats Went Too Far Publicizing Trump’s Tax Returns
In September 2020, The New York Occasions published a collection of articles about Trump’s returns.
A spokesperson for The New York Occasions stated: “We stay involved when whistleblowers who present data within the public curiosity are prosecuted.”
“The Occasions’s reporting on this matter performed an vital position in serving to the general public perceive the monetary ties and tax methods of a sitting president – data that has lengthy been seen as central to the data that voters ought to have in regards to the chief of our authorities and the candidates for that prime workplace.”
The Justice Division stated it was a “severe breach of the general public’s belief.”
“The unauthorized theft and disclosure of tax return data by authorities workers or contractors is a severe breach of the general public’s belief,” Appearing Assistant Legal professional Common Nicole Argentieri of the Justice Division’s Felony Division stated in a press release. “The Division will maintain accountable those that illegally exploit their entry to delicate private data.”
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In July and August 2020, prosecutors stated Littlejohn individually stole tax return data for hundreds of the nation’s wealthiest individuals, once more evading IRS detection. In November 2020, Littlejohn disclosed this tax return data to a different unnamed information group, which revealed greater than 50 articles utilizing the stolen information. Littlejohn then obstructed the forthcoming investigation into his conduct by deleting and destroying proof of his disclosures, based on prosecutors.
ProPublica published a collection of articles on rich taxpayers throughout the identical timeframe.
“Through the use of his position as a authorities contractor to realize entry to personal tax data, steal that data, and disclose it publicly, Charles Littlejohn broke federal legislation and betrayed the general public’s belief,” Legal professional Common Merrick Garland stated in a press release.
Syndicated with permission from The Center Square.