(RepublicanPress.org) – Presidential candidates have voluntarily released their federal tax returns since the 1970s. Donald Trump refused to do so during his 2016 and 2020 campaigns, but House Democrats publicly released his returns from 2015 through 2020 in a historic first for a president. However, an IRS contractor had already revealed some of his tax records to media outlets. That individual, Charles E. Littlejohn, recently pleaded guilty to a charge related to that disclosure.
On September 29, the Justice Department issued a press release announcing it charged Littlejohn with one count of disclosing tax return information and tax returns. Court documents showed that the 38-year-old defendant stole tax return data from an unnamed “high-ranking government official” and revealed it to a news organization.
Ex-IRS contractor pleads guilty to illegally disclosing Trump's tax returns https://t.co/Y8mAqqbSFa
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 12, 2023
Likewise, Littlejohn also reportedly stole tax return information submitted by thousands of the country’s wealthy elite. He allegedly disclosed that IRS data and the information related to the government official to another media outlet.
POLITICO reported that federal prosecutors didn’t file an indictment against Littlejohn. Instead, they filed the lone charge as a “criminal information.” Typically, charging a defendant that way indicates the defendant has entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors.
As predicted, on October 12, Littlejohn pleaded guilty to the charge detailed by prosecutors in his criminal information. US District Judge Ana Reyes scheduled his sentencing hearing for January 29, 2024. Littlejohn faces a maximum of five years imprisonment and assorted fines, costs, and other penalties once the court considers the US Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant statutory factors.
Media outlets covering the case speculated that Littlejohn disclosed Trump’s tax returns, although court documents identified the victim as “Public Official A.” Littlejohn confirmed that “Donald J. Trump” was the victim when questioned about it by the court during his guilty plea hearing.
Trump attorney Alina Habba spoke in court on the former president’s behalf, advising that he opposed the plea deal. She told the court that Littlejohn likely didn’t commit the “egregious breach” of Trump’s tax information by himself. She urged Reyes to give Littlejohn the maximum sentence if she accepted the agreement.
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