A former US tax official has been sentenced to five years in prison for fraudulently distributing Donald Trump’s personal tax documents to media companies.
Charles Littlejohn, 38, also received three years of supervised release for his actions and he must pay a $5,000 fine.
Littlejohn stole tax information from thousands of wealthy Americans while working as a contractor for the Internal Revenue Service across the United States.
His sentence amounted to the maximum statutory penalty that can be imposed.
Mr. Littlejohn’s crime was an “attack on constitutional democracy,” U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said before handing down the sentence Monday.
“He targeted the sitting president of the United States. This is extraordinary in every sense of the word,” she added. “This should not be open season for elected officials.”
In a brief statement in court, Littlejohn admitted his crimes and claimed he was aware of the possible consequences at the time but was driven by a desire for transparency.
“I made this decision knowing full well that I would probably be answering in court for my serious crimes,” he said.
“I used my skills to systematically violate the privacy of thousands of people.”
His attorneys said in a court filing that Littlejohn “used my skills to systematically violate the privacy of thousands of people.” acted based on a deep ethical belief that he had a right to know secrets.” And sharing that information is the only way to make a difference.
“He did what he thought was right at the time, but he now fully admits that he was wrong,” the lawyer added.
This explanation does not appear to have influenced Judge Reyes’ sentencing decision.
She said imposing the maximum penalty would ensure that no one would consider Littlejohn’s actions “acceptable, just or worth compromising.”
“There are no words for what he did and the fact that he is being charged with a crime,” the judge said.
Littlejohn pleaded guilty in October to a charge of leaking tax return information.
Although the indictment did not name any government employees who were victims of Mr. Trump’s actions, former contractors loudly named Mr. Trump when they admitted to the crimes in court.
He also said he provided information about Trump’s taxes to two US media outlets, the New York Times and ProPublica. Neither organization has been accused of wrongdoing.
Lawyers representing the government said in court Monday that Littlejohn “sought to influence elections and reshape the country’s political discourse” and committed the “most serious” crime in the history of the IRS. Said to be one.
They say Mr. Littlejohn “abused his position” during his two years at the Internal Revenue Service and “gained access to unconcealed taxpayer data to advance his personal political agenda.” “I used it as a weapon,” he said.
Some of the other tax returns he acknowledged receiving dated back 15 years, he claimed in court filings.
The New York Times published a detailed report on Trump’s tax returns in September 2020, showing that Trump paid only $750 in federal income taxes for the year he was elected president, and It was revealed that taxes were zero for 10 of the 15 years. all.
In an editor’s note, the paper’s then-editor recognized the news organization’s right to “publish up-to-date information that is lawfully obtained by its reporters.”
ProPublica is now said to have received storage devices from Littlejohn containing tax returns and confidential information of thousands of other wealthy individuals.
Following Monday’s verdict, Littlejohn was ordered to appear in court by April 30.
