Donald Trump and his sons have launched a high-profile legal battle against two major U.S. government agencies following the release of sensitive financial records. The president and his family are seeking $10 billion in damages, claiming the leaks caused serious harm.
Donald Trump sues IRS for $10 billion
Donald Trump, his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization have filed a $10 billion civil lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), according to court documents filed in Miami federal court and reported by Reuters and The Guardian.
The suit claims the agencies failed to prevent former IRS contractor Charles “Chaz” Littlejohn from leaking their tax return information. The plaintiffs state the IRS and Treasury “had a duty to safeguard and protect” the information but “failed to take such mandatory precautions.”
The complaint says Littlejohn used “unmasked taxpayer data to further his own personal, political agenda.” He believed Trump was “dangerous” and “a threat to democracy.” The filing claims the leaks caused “reputational and financial harm, public embarrassment,” and “unfairly tarnished their business reputations.”
Littlejohn pleaded guilty in 2023 to disclosing tax return information without authorization. In January 2024, he was sentenced to five years in prison. Prosecutors said he leaked data on Trump and thousands of wealthy Americans to media outlets.
The New York Times published at least eight articles based on the data. In a deposition, Littlejohn said, “Less about harm, more just about a statement. . . He’s shown a remarkable resilience” (via BBC).
Trump refused to release his tax returns during his 2016 and 2020 campaigns, citing audits. In 2020, The New York Times reported he paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and no taxes in 10 of the prior 15 years. Trump released the documents in 2022.
Originally reported by Vritti Johar on Mandatory.com.
