Trump Sues IRS and Treasury for $10 Billion Over Tax Return Leaks

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Treasury Department, alleging the agencies failed to safeguard his confidential tax return information, which was later leaked to media outlets in 2019 and 2020. The complaint, lodged in federal court in Miami, also lists Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization as plaintiffs. They claim the agencies did not take “mandatory precautions” to prevent former IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn from disclosing their tax records to news organizations including The New York Times and ProPublica.

The plaintiffs argue the disclosures caused “significant and irreparable harm” to their reputations and financial interests, and said they may pursue punitive damages, asserting the leaks were either willful or the result of gross negligence. The lawsuit places Trump in the unusual position of suing federal agencies within the Executive Branch. The IRS, which operates under the Treasury Department, did not immediately comment. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is also serving as acting IRS commissioner, is not named as a defendant.

Littlejohn was charged in September 2023 with unlawfully leaking tax information belonging to Trump and thousands of other wealthy Americans, with prosecutors saying he acted out of political motivation. He pleaded guilty the following month to unauthorized disclosure of tax return information and was sentenced in January 2024 to five years in prison. According to the complaint, The New York Times published at least eight stories and ProPublica more than 50 reports based on the leaked material, which the plaintiffs say damaged their public standing and business reputations.

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