Man Sentenced for Unauthorized Disclosure of Tax Information
Charles Littlejohn, 38, has received his sentence after pleading guilty to the unauthorized disclosure of income tax return information. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes presided over the case, ultimately determining the appropriate punishment for Littlejohn. Federal prosecutors had sought the maximum allowable sentence of five years, arguing that his actions were driven by a political agenda and compromised the security of sensitive personal data. Littlejohn had attempted to access and disclose records on former President Trump in 2017 when he sought a position at an IRS consulting firm.
In response to the prosecutors’ claims, Littlejohn’s legal team argued that his actions were motivated by a “deep, moral belief” in the public’s right to know. However, he now expresses regret for his actions. While his defense did not request a specific sentence, they urged the court to consider punishments handed down in previous cases involving government leakers.
It is worth noting that during his 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump became the first major candidate in decades to withhold the release of his tax returns. However, after a court battle, a U.S. House of Representatives panel released six years’ worth of his tax records in 2022.
Following his initial disclosure, Littlejohn later leaked tax information pertaining to “ultra-high net worth taxpayers” to the investigative news outlet ProPublica. His defense team argued that he was driven by concerns about economic inequality and aimed to prompt reforms in the U.S. tax system. ProPublica subsequently published almost 50 articles based on the leaked information, shedding light on how wealthy individuals evade income taxes in the country.
Charles Littlejohn, a man who leaked tax information on “ultra-high net worth taxpayers” to ProPublica, has been sentenced for disclosing income tax return information without authorization. Littlejohn pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes. Prosecutors sought a five-year sentence, arguing that Littlejohn compromised personal information for political reasons. Littlejohn’s defense team claimed he was motivated by a belief in public’s right to know but now regrets his actions. Littlejohn leaked the information to ProPublica in order to address economic inequality and expose tax evasion by the wealthy. ProPublica published multiple articles based on the leaked information.
Disclaimer: Only the headline and content of this report may have been reworked by Newsearay, staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed. The Article was originally published on Source link
)