Donald Trump has filed a $10bn lawsuit against the US Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), alleging the agencies failed to prevent a former contractor from leaking his tax returns to the media. The complaint, lodged in Miami federal court on Thursday, claims the IRS and Treasury did not take 'mandatory precautions' to stop Charles Littlejohn from disclosing the documents to outlets including the New York Times and ProPublica in 2019 and 2020.
The plaintiffs, which include Trump, his sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization, argue they suffered 'significant and irreparable harm' to their reputations and financial interests. They may seek punitive damages, asserting the leaks were either wilful or resulted from gross negligence. The lawsuit places Trump in the unusual position of suing agencies within the executive branch he leads, though Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is not named as a defendant.
Littlejohn, a former IRS contractor, was charged in September 2023 with leaking tax records of Trump and thousands of other wealthy Americans. He pleaded guilty to unauthorised disclosure of tax return information and was sentenced to five years in prison in January 2024. The complaint states that the New York Times published at least eight articles and ProPublica at least 50 based on the leaked information, causing 'public embarrassment' and damaging Trump's business and public standing.
Trump has pursued multiple high-value lawsuits against media organisations since his 2024 re-election, including a $15bn claim against the New York Times and Penguin Random House, a $10bn claim against the Wall Street Journal, and a $10bn claim against the BBC. Alejandro Brito, a Florida-based lawyer, has filed or assisted in all these cases. Neither the IRS nor the Treasury Department immediately responded to requests for comment.
