Justice Department Charges Ex-IRS Consultant With Leaking Tax Information to News Organizations
ProPublicaOct 01, 2023
The Facts
Charles Edward Littlejohn, a former contractor for the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS), was charged Friday with leaking tax information about thousands of the country’s wealthiest people to news outlets.
Littlejohn, who worked with the IRS until 2021, is charged with one count of unauthorized disclosure of tax returns and information, including details related to former Pres. Donald Trump.
The Spin
Republican narrative
It's important to identify this leaker, get to the bottom of his motivations, and prosecute him where appropriate. It's wildly inappropriate to have citizens’ private information — regardless of their wealth — shared with the media. And we really need to find out if he was politically motivated since Trump was involved. The White House's silence on the matter might say more than any statement.
Democratic narrative
If Littlejohn is guilty of being the leaker, he should face the consequences. But his punishment should be commensurate with the service he provided by exposing how little some of the wealthiest Americans — including Trump — pay in taxes, which contributes to the major income disparity that's plaguing the US. It's urgent to increase funding to the IRS to crack down on this issue as well.
