Charles Littlejohn, leaker of Trump’s tax records, gets 5-year prison term
OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
2:40 PM – Monday, January 29, 2024
Charles Littlejohn, the man who stole former President Donald Trump’s tax records and later released them to a number of left-wing news outlets, has been sentenced to five years in prison.
On Monday, Littlejohn, a former tax employee who unlawfully leaked Trump’s personal tax records to media platforms, was sentenced to five years in prison. In addition, he must spend an extra three years under supervised release and pay a $5,000 fine for his wrongdoings.
Between 2008 and 2013, Littlejohn worked for Booz Allen, a consulting business that primarily handled IRS contracts for public and private customers. While there, he had access to “vast amounts of unmasked taxpayer data.”
While employed as a contractor, Littlejohn stole tax information from Trump, along with thousands of other affluent and well-known public figures.
The private tax returns of billionaires such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Michael Bloomberg, Warren Buffett, Peter Thiel, and others were made public by the left-leaning outlet ProPublica in June 2021.
Littlejohn, 38, pleaded guilty in October to one count of illegal disclosures of income tax records.
The former tax worker disclosed the private information to at least two media outlets and removed the records from his IRS-assigned computer before returning it. Later, he erased the locations where he had originally saved the data, covering the remainder of his digital footprint.
Prior to Littlejohn’s sentencing on Monday, federal District Judge Ana Reyes described his offense as “an attack on our constitutional democracy.”
“He targeted the sitting president of the United States of America, and that is exceptional by any measure,” said Reyes. “It cannot be open season on our elected officials.”
Reyes also repeatedly emphasized the seriousness of the offense, comparing it to an assault on the United States and its legal system.
“What you did in attacking the sitting president of the United States was an attack on our constitutional democracy,” Reyes added. “We’re talking about someone who … pulled off the biggest heist in IRS history.”
Additionally, Reyes compared Littlejohn’s wrongdoings to those of the January 6th, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach, asserting that his actions were “also a threat to our democracy.”
“It engenders the same fear that January 6th does,” Reyes added.
Littlejohn, according to the prosecution, took extreme measures to obtain the tax records covertly. He did so by downloading data to an Apple iPad, uploading it to a private website that he later removed, and taking advantage of certain system flaws.
Reyes also took issue with the Justice Department’s choice to file a single count of charges against Littlejohn.
“The fact that he did what he did and he’s facing one felony count, I have no words for,” the judge said. Prosecutors argued that the one count covers the multitude of Littlejohn’s thefts and leaks.
“A free press and public engagement with the media are critical to any healthy democracy, but stealing and leaking private, personal tax information strips individuals of the legal protection of their most sensitive data,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
Littlejohn acknowledged his crimes in a short statement to the court, claiming that he had been mindful of its possible consequences at the time, however, he was motivated by a “desire for transparency.”
“I made my decision with full knowledge that I would likely end up in a courtroom to answer for my serious crime,” Littlejohn said in court on Monday. “I used my skills to systematically violate the privacy of thousands of people.”
Littlejohn also said, “I acted out of a sincere misguided belief,” and that he was serving the nation and that people had a right to the tax information.
“We as a country make the best decisions when we are all properly informed,” Littlejohn added. “My actions undermine the fragile faith.”
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
The Biden Administration is pushing gun control measures onto parents all in the name of public safety.
A Federal Jury orders Donald Trump to pay millions to writer E. Jean Carroll.
Israel vows to bring all of the hostages home as they look to Qatar to broker a new deal.
Since the overturning of Roe V Wade, some corporations have interjected their social-political agendas, going as far as paying for their employees to travel out of state for abortions.
January 29, 2024 – 6:18 AM PST (Reuters) – Microsoft (MSFT.O) is expected to report a 15.8% jump in quarterly revenue, its best growth…
X is in the process of hiring 100 content moderators for a new office in Austin, Texas that will focus on fighting child abuse content.
Intel slumped more than 12% on Friday following a bleak first-quarter revenue outlook
Microsoft will let go of 1,900 employees at Activision Blizzard and Xbox this week.
rnrn
How did the judge describe Littlejohn’s offense and why did she compare it to the U.S. Capitol breach?
On January 29, 2024, Charles Littlejohn, the man who stole former President Donald Trump’s tax records and subsequently released them to left-wing news outlets, was sentenced to five years in prison. In addition to his prison term, he will also serve an extra three years under supervised release and pay a $5,000 fine.
Littlejohn, who worked as a tax employee for Booz Allen between 2008 and 2013, had access to a significant amount of taxpayer data during his time there. While employed as a contractor, he stole not only Trump’s tax information but also the private tax returns of other well-known public figures such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Michael Bloomberg, Warren Buffett, and Peter Thiel. These records were later made public by the left-leaning outlet ProPublica in June 2021.
The former tax worker pleaded guilty in October to one count of illegal disclosures of income tax records. He admitted to leaking the private information to at least two media outlets and removing the records from his IRS-assigned computer. Littlejohn also took measures to erase the locations where he had originally saved the data, making it difficult to trace his actions.
In sentencing Littlejohn, Federal District Judge Ana Reyes described his offense as an attack on the constitutional democracy of the United States. She emphasized the seriousness of his actions and compared them to an assault on the country and its legal system. Reyes also likened Littlejohn’s wrongdoings to the U.S. Capitol breach on January 6, 2021, stating that both incidents posed a threat to democracy.
Evidence presented by the prosecution showed that Littlejohn went to extreme lengths to obtain the tax records covertly. He downloaded the data to an Apple iPad, uploaded it to a private website, and took advantage of certain system flaws. The prosecution argued that filing a single count of charges against Littlejohn was sufficient to cover the multitude of his thefts and leaks.
The Justice Department’s decision to file only one count of charges was criticized by Judge Reyes, who expressed disbelief at the leniency of the charge. Prosecutors defended their choice, stating that stealing and leaking private tax information undermines individuals’ legal protection of their sensitive data.
Littlejohn admitted to his crimes in a short statement to the court, claiming that he had been aware of the potential consequences. However, he justified his actions as motivated by a desire for transparency and the belief that the public had a right to the tax information.
Ultimately, Littlejohn’s sentencing sends a strong message that the unauthorized access and release of private and sensitive information, especially pertaining to public figures and elected officials, will be met with severe consequences. It serves as a reminder that privacy and the rule of law are vital for the integrity and stability of a democratic society.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Now loading...