The Lawsuit
Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization filed a federal lawsuit in Miami asking for at least $10 billion in damages. The complaint says the IRS and the Treasury Department failed to stop the leak of confidential tax records. The plaintiffs claim the agency let private tax data end up in the hands of news organizations, and they are asking a judge to hold the government responsible for the harm that followed.
Who Took the Files
The case centers on a former IRS contractor named Charles Littlejohn. Federal prosecutors say Littlejohn accessed tax return data for many wealthy people, including a high ranking public official, then passed the material to journalists. Prosecutors say the leaks reached outlets identified in court papers. Littlejohn was criminally charged and later sentenced. The civil suit points to his actions as the starting point, and argues the agencies should have stopped him sooner.
What the Complaint Alleges
The complaint accuses the IRS and Treasury of lax controls and poor supervision. It says the agencies did not prevent or detect the breaks in security that allowed sensitive returns to be copied and shared. The plaintiffs say those failures let private tax entries reach the public and cause reputational and financial harm. The lawsuit demands money and accountability for what the plaintiffs call a massive breach of trust.
How Officials Responded
The Department of Justice handled the criminal case against the contractor and described how the person stole and disclosed returns. News organizations that published reporting based on the material have defended their journalism. Trump’s legal team called the leaks politically motivated and said the agency violated privacy rules. The suit seeks to pin civil liability on the agencies rather than only pursuing the individual who handled the files.
Why This Matters
The suit tests how far the government can be held liable when a contractor breaks rules and sensitive data leaks out. It also raises questions about how federal agencies protect private records and how the courts balance privacy, accountability, and press freedom. If the plaintiffs win big damages it could push agencies to tighten controls. If the suit fails it could leave the victims with few civil remedies against government information failures.
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