Charles Edward Littlejohn, a 38-year-old contractor, has been charged by the Justice Department with illegally disclosing the tax returns of several high-profile individuals, including former president Donald Trump. Littlejohn allegedly stole tax returns and tax information, some dating back 15 years or more, which he then gave to news outlets including the New York Times and ProPublica. The information was utilized in numerous articles published by these outlets.
Prior to Littlejohn’s charging, the source of the tax return information leaked to the New York Times and ProPublica remained unknown. The outlets utilized this data to conduct extensive investigations into the tax activities of some of America’s wealthiest individuals.
The criminal charges filed against Littlejohn indicate he likely engaged in a plea agreement, as opposed to going to trial. If he pleads guilty, the contractor could face up to five years in prison. However, despite the sheer volume of individuals whose tax return information he is accused of disclosing, he is only charged with a single count of illegal disclosure of tax returns and information.
In response to the incident, the IRS has pledged to implement new protocols and protections to enhance security. However, there is concern among high net worth clients regarding the extent of these measures and potential risk to their financial information. This has seen clients urged to take extra precautions when handling sensitive information, including only sharing password-protected documents with trusted individuals.
The full details of Littlejohn’s motivation remain unclear, but the case is expected to impact how contractors are vetted and supervised to prevent potential future security breaches.