Former IRS contractor pleads guilty to leaking Trump tax returns

Trump's personal attorney Alina Habba has since criticized the plea agreement and demanded that Littlejohn receive a lengthy prison sentence.

By Ben Whedon

Published: October 12, 2023 10:18pm

Former IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn pleaded guilty on Thursday to leaking the tax information of thousands of wealthy Americans, including former President Donald Trump.

The DOJ announced an indictment against Littlejohn, 38, in late September, charging him with one count of unauthorized disclosure of tax returns and return information. He admitted to the charge on Thursday, The Hill reported.

The indictment never named Trump nor did it identify the news outlets to whom he leaked the information. The Associated Press, however, identified a 2020 report from the New York Times on Trump's taxes and a 2021 ProPublica expose on numerous wealthy Americans' taxes as aligning with those publications mentioned obliquely in the original indictment.

Trump's personal attorney Alina Habba has since criticized the plea agreement and demanded that Littlejohn receive a lengthy prison sentence. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes's harsh words for Littlejohn may signal a similar inclination.

"Make no mistake, this was not acceptable. If anyone tells you the ends justify the means, they're wrong," she said.

Littlejohn faces sentencing on Jan. 29.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.