Trump Sues IRS, Treasury for $10 Billion over Leaked Tax Info/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and Treasury Department over leaked tax information. The suit alleges financial and reputational damage following disclosures by ex-IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn. Trump claims the leaks impacted his 2020 election standing and violated federal confidentiality laws.
Trump IRS Lawsuit Quick Looks
- Trump files a $10B lawsuit in Florida federal court.
- Plaintiffs include Trump, his sons, and the Trump Organization.
- Leak involved ex-IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn.
- Littlejohn leaked to The New York Times and ProPublica.
- Disclosures reportedly harmed Trump’s public and business image.
- IRS Code 6103 confidentiality violations cited.
- Booz Allen Hamilton lost Treasury contracts over the breach.
- Trump alleges damage to 2020 election support.
Deep Look
Trump Launches $10 Billion Lawsuit Against IRS, Treasury Over Massive Tax Leak
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is suing the U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service for $10 billion, claiming the agencies failed to prevent the leak of his confidential tax records, which were provided to media outlets between 2018 and 2020.
Filed in a Florida federal court on Thursday, the sweeping lawsuit includes not only Trump but also his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization as co-plaintiffs. The complaint argues the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive tax documents inflicted significant damage, both reputational and financial, on the former president and his business interests.
The case centers on Charles Edward Littlejohn, a former IRS contractor working through Booz Allen Hamilton. In 2024, Littlejohn was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to leaking tax information concerning Trump and other wealthy Americans to The New York Times and ProPublica over a two-year span.
Described by prosecutors as an unprecedented breach in IRS history, the leaks revealed explosive details about Trump’s financial practices. A 2020 New York Times report revealed Trump had paid little to no federal income tax in previous years, while ProPublica later exposed discrepancies in his filings. These reports fueled public scrutiny and contributed to the eventual release of six years’ worth of Trump’s tax returns by the then-Democratic-led House Ways and Means Committee.
Trump’s legal team asserts the breach violated IRS Code 6103, which governs the confidentiality of taxpayer information, and states that the unauthorized release contributed to a loss of political support during the 2020 election. The lawsuit claims the leaks “unfairly tarnished their business reputations, portrayed them in a false light, and negatively affected President Trump’s support among voters.”
Littlejohn’s actions extended beyond Trump. He was also responsible for leaking private tax data on other prominent billionaires, including Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.
In response to the breach, the Treasury Department recently terminated contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticized the firm for failing to protect sensitive data it accessed through its federal contracts, saying it lacked the safeguards required to prevent such a massive breach.
So far, officials from the IRS, Treasury, and the White House have not issued public comments regarding Trump’s lawsuit.
This legal move adds a new chapter to Trump’s longstanding battle over the secrecy of his financial records — a fight that has followed him throughout his presidency and beyond.
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