Trump Files $10bn Lawsuit Against IRS Over Alleged Tax Records Leak
US President Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS), accusing the agency of failing to protect his confidential tax records and causing significant reputational and financial damage.
The lawsuit, filed on Thursday in a Miami federal court, was brought by Trump in his personal capacity alongside his two eldest sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., as well as their family business, The Trump Organization. The plaintiffs argue that the IRS and the US Treasury Department breached their legal duty to safeguard sensitive tax information.
Trump’s tax returns have long been a subject of public and political debate, particularly during his first term, after he broke with longstanding presidential tradition by refusing to release them. According to the suit, the tax documents were unlawfully leaked to the media by Charles “Chaz” Littlejohn, a former IRS employee who worked at the agency between May 2019 and September 2020.
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The plaintiffs claim the leak caused serious harm, including financial losses, reputational damage, and public embarrassment, while also negatively affecting Trump’s business interests and public standing. The lawsuit states that the disclosures portrayed the president and his companies “in a false light” and unfairly tarnished their reputations.
Littlejohn pleaded guilty in 2023 to leaking the tax records and is currently serving a five-year prison sentence.
In September 2020, The New York Times reported that Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes in both 2016 and 2017, and no federal income tax in 10 of the previous 15 years.
This is not the first legal action Trump has taken against federal institutions under his administration. He has previously sought $230 million in damages from the US Department of Justice over investigations related to classified documents and the 2020 election.