{"id":2050534,"date":"2023-09-30T07:22:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-30T11:22:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/irs-contractor-charged-with-single-criminal-count-for-leaking-trumps-tax-records-and-thousands-of-others\/"},"modified":"2023-09-30T07:25:30","modified_gmt":"2023-09-30T11:25:30","slug":"irs-contractor-charged-with-single-criminal-count-for-leaking-trumps-tax-records-and-thousands-of-others","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/irs-contractor-charged-with-single-criminal-count-for-leaking-trumps-tax-records-and-thousands-of-others\/","title":{"rendered":"IRS contractor charged with leaking Trump&#8217;s tax records and numerous others."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Firs-contractor-charged-with-single-criminal-count-for-leaking-trumps-tax-records-and-thousands-of-others%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2050534&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>A contractor \u200dfor the \u200bInternal\u200c Revenue Service (IRS) escaped\u200c significant charges Friday\u2063 with \u200ba single \u200ccriminal charge from the Department of Justice\u2064 (DOJ) for leaking thousands of prominent tax\u2063 records, including those of former President Donald Trump, which were leaked shortly before the 2020 presidential election.<\/p>\n<p>Charles\u2063 Littlejohn, a\u200c 38-year-old IRS consultant in Washington D.C., was charged by federal prosecutors with one \u200dcount of unauthorized disclosure of tax returns and return information.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/irs-consultant-charged-disclosing-tax-return-information-news-organizations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">press\u200c release<\/a> from the Justice\u200b Department claims Littlejohn \u201cstole <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-reps-jordan-issa-demand-transparency-from-irs-over-partisan-leak-of-tax-records\/\" title=\"EXCLUSIVE: Reps. Jordan, Issa Demand Transparency From IRS Over \u2018Partisan\u2019 Leak Of Tax Records\">tax return information<\/a> associated with a \u2062<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/you-are-our-champion-novak-djokovic-gets-heros-welcome-in-serbia\/\" title=\"'You Are Our Champion': Novak Djokovic Gets Hero\u2019s Welcome in Serbia\">high-ranking government official<\/a>\u201d\u200b and then \u201cdisclosed it\u2063 to a news \u2063organization.\u201d Prosecutors did not name either the \u201chigh-ranking government official\u201d or the news organization in question, but ABC News <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/US\/doj-charges-irs-consultant-allegedly-leaking-trump-wealthy\/story?id=103610795\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a> \u200d that a \u201cperson familiar with the matter \u2062confirmed \u2026 the unnamed high-ranking\u2062 government official is Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>President Donald Trump\u2019s taxes were\u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2020\/09\/28\/new-york-times-trump-tax-return-bombshell-is-a-joke\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">leaked<\/a> to The New York Times weeks ahead of the 2020 election.<\/p>\n<p>Federal prosecutors also accused Littlejohn of stealing \u201ctax return\u200b information \u200dfor thousands of the nation\u2019s wealthiest \u200cindividuals, and disclos[ing] this tax return information to another news organization.\u201d That\u2064 news organization was left-wing <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/propublica\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">smear factory<\/a> ProPublica, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/irs-consultant-charged-tax-return-information-trump-nations-wealthiest-individuals-news-media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">according<\/a> to Fox News reporting.<\/p>\n<p>In the summer of \u200b2021, ProPublica <a href=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/the-secret-irs-files-trove-of-never-before-seen-records-reveal-how-the-wealthiest-avoid-income-tax\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">published<\/a> \u201cThe Secret IRS Files: Trove of Never-Before-Seen Records Reveal How the Wealthiest Avoid Income Tax.\u201d Individuals whose tax\u200b records were released include Jeff Bezos,\u200d Elon Musk, and Michael\u2062 Bloomberg.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProPublica has\u2062 obtained a vast trove of Internal Revenue Service data\u2064 on the tax \u200breturns of thousands of the nation\u2019s wealthiest people, covering more than 15 years,\u201d the group reported. \u201cThe data provides an \u200cunprecedented look inside the financial lives of America\u2019s \u2062titans, including Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Rupert\u2063 Murdoch and Mark Zuckerberg. It shows not just their \u200bincome and taxes, but also \u2062their investments, stock trades, gambling winnings and even the results of audits.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>[RELATED:[RELATED:<a href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/Billionaires%20Jeff%20Bezos,%20Elon%20Musk,%20Mike%20Bloomberg%20Dodged%20Federal%20Income%20Taxes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Billionaires\u200b Jeff \u2064Bezos, Elon Musk, Mike Bloomberg Dodged \u2063Federal \u200dIncome Taxes<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If convicted, Littlejohn faces a maximum of five years in prison.<\/p>\n<p>The single\u2062 charge \u2064against Littlejohn follows criticism of the Justice \u2064Department from \u2063IRS whistleblowers who claim the agency sought to hamper a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hunter-biden-consulted-for-oil-man-connected-to-notorious-congolese-warlord-emails-show\/\" title=\"Hunter Biden Consulted for Oil Man Connected to Notorious Congolese Warlord, Emails Show\">federal tax investigation<\/a>\u200c into Hunter Biden. Whistleblowers say the DOJ <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/06\/22\/irs-whistleblower-fbi-tipped-off-people-very-close-to-joe-and-hunter-before-irs-investigative-teams-day-of-action\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">thwarted<\/a> investigative efforts, slow-walked cooperation \u2063with tax agents,\u200c and even <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/06\/22\/delaware-prosecutors-hid-fbi-bribery-document-from-irs-investigators\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">concealed<\/a> critical evidence implicating President Joe Biden in a criminal bribery scheme. The\u200b most significant felonies \u200dof which Hunter Biden was suspected, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/irs-whistleblower-says-most-substantive-felony-charges-were-left-off-table-hunter-biden-probe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> \u200c veteran IRS agent \u200dGary Shapley this summer, \u201cwere left off the \u2064table.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>Tristan Justice is the western correspondent for The Federalist and the author of Social Justice Redux,\u200b a conservative newsletter on culture, health, and wellness. He \u200chas also written for The Washington Examiner and\u2064 The\u200c Daily Signal. His work has also been featured in Real Clear Politics\u2062 and Fox News. Tristan graduated \u2062from George Washington \u2063University where he majored in political \u200bscience and minored in journalism. Follow him on Twitter at\u2064 @JusticeTristan or contact him at Tristan@thefederalist.com. Sign up for Tristan&#8217;s email newsletter <a href=\"https:\/\/socialjusticeredux.substack.com\/about\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-image data-amount=\"5\">\n<h2>Popular<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What steps should the IRS take to strengthen its security\u2062 measures and ensure the confidentiality of taxpayer information in light\u2062 of the high-profile leaks involving former President Donald Trump&#8217;s tax records<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2062 Cy\u2062 has not done enough to\u200c protect taxpayer\u200d information from unauthorized\u200d disclosure. The incident involving the \u2064leakage of prominent tax records, \u200dincluding those of former President\u2062 Donald Trump, raises concerns about the security and confidentiality of sensitive information held by the\u200c IRS.<\/p>\n<p>The criminal charge\u2064 against Charles Littlejohn, an \u200dIRS consultant, highlights \u2063the \u2063seriousness of the \u200boffense. Littlejohn is accused of unauthorized \u200bdisclosure of tax returns and return information. According to the press \u200brelease by the Department of Justice, he\u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/irs-contractor-charged-with-single-criminal-count-for-leaking-trumps-tax-records-and-thousands-of-others\/\" title=\"IRS contractor charged with leaking Trump's tax records and numerous others.\">allegedly stole tax return information<\/a> associated with a high-ranking government official and disclosed it to a news organization. While the official \u200cand\u200c the news \u2062organization were not explicitly named in the press release, it has been reported that the official is none other than former President Donald \u2062Trump and\u200d the news organization is likely The New York Times.<\/p>\n<p>This case \u2062sheds light on the vulnerability of taxpayer information in the digital age. The leak of\u2063 President Trump&#8217;s tax\u200b returns to The New York Times just weeks \u200dbefore the\u200d 2020 \u2064presidential election \u200ccreated a media frenzy and raised\u2064 questions about the integrity \u2062of the electoral process. It is alarming to think that \u2063sensitive information can\u2062 be\u2062 accessed and leaked, potentially influencing public \u200bopinion and political outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the accusation that Littlejohn stole tax\u200b return information for thousands of\u200d wealthy individuals\u200c and disclosed it to another news organization, namely ProPublica, raises further \u2064concerns. \u200cProPublica&#8217;s publication of &#8220;The Secret IRS\u2063 Files&#8221; exposed the financial details and tax \u200cavoidance strategies of some\u200b of the nation&#8217;s wealthiest individuals. It is\u2062 disconcerting \u200bto realize that such \u2063personal and confidential information can be accessed and exploited.<\/p>\n<p>The implications of this case go beyond the actions of one individual. It\u200b raises questions \u200cabout the IRS&#8217;s policies and \u200dpractices in safeguarding taxpayer information. Whistleblowers within the IRS have criticized the agency for not doing enough to prevent unauthorized disclosure\u2063 and protect the privacy of \u2062taxpayers. The leaking of sensitive tax records not only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-germany-ambassador-again-raises-eyebrows-with-mega-payouts-from-penn\/\" title=\"Biden's German ambassador sparks concern with hefty Penn payouts.\">undermines \u200dpublic trust<\/a> in the IRS \u200cbut also threatens the\u200c fundamental \u2062principles of privacy and data security that are essential in \u200ca modern society.<\/p>\n<p>If convicted,\u2063 Littlejohn could face up to five years\u2062 in\u200b prison. While this may serve as a deterrent for potential wrongdoers, it does not address \u2064the larger issue at\u200c hand. \u2063The IRS\u200d must take immediate and effective measures to\u200b strengthen its security measures, ensure the\u2064 confidentiality of\u2063 taxpayer information, and hold individuals accountable for their \u2064actions. This \u200bincident should serve as a wake-up call for the IRS and prompt a thorough review of its practices and\u200b procedures.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the criminal charge against the IRS consultant for leaking prominent tax records, including those of \u200cformer President Donald Trump, raises serious concerns about the security and confidentiality of taxpayer information. \u200cThis case highlights the vulnerability of sensitive data in the digital \u200cage \u200band underscores the need for stronger measures to protect personal information. The IRS \u2064must address these concerns, restore public trust, and take concrete steps to \u200dsafeguard \u200ctaxpayer information from unauthorized disclosure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A 38-year-old IRS consultant in Washington D.C., Charles Littlejohn, managed to avoid major charges on Friday. The Department of Justice (DOJ) only filed a single criminal charge against him for leaking numerous high-profile tax records, including those of former President Donald Trump, just before the 2020 presidential election. Littlejohn was working as a contractor for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":494,"featured_media":2050535,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2050534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2050534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/494"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2050534"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2050534\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2050535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2050534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2050534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2050534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}