Ex-IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn has been sentenced to 5 years in prison, 3 years supervised release, and a $5,000 fine after pleading guilty to one felony charge. Federal Judge Ana Reyes made the decision Monday, opting for the maximum sentence.
Littlejohn was found to have been stealing classified files for years while contracted by the IRS. After deliberately exploiting a loophole allowing him to access and covertly download the files, he shared them with the New York Times.
The defense suggested that Littlejohn did what he believed was right, sharing information that Americans deserved to know. Reyes was critical of Littlejohn’s motivations. “What you did in targeting the sitting president of the United States was an attack on our constitutional democracy,” Reyes told Littlejohn. “It cannot be open season on our elected officials.”
More than 8,000 tax returns were leaked by Littlejohn, who specifically targeted wealthy Americans and those he opposed politically, Donald Trump being the most notable victim.
#Breaking News: Charles Littlejohn, the IRS contractor who released Trumps tax returns, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison.
Littlejohn took a job with the IRS and leaked financial records for other wealthy Americans as well. It appeared his goal was to expose how little… pic.twitter.com/JYa9Ikpx3h
— 🇺🇸Travis🇺🇸 (@Travis_in_Flint) January 29, 2024
Littlejohn’s plea deal resulted in being tried for only one felony count, despite sharing information on over 7,600 separate victims. Reyes expressed frustration at the single charge, requesting further information about the plea deal. Prosecutor Jonathan Jacobson opted not to give details.
Reyes, however, took the crime very seriously. “Your actions were also a threat to our democracy,” Reyes said in court, “It engenders the same fear that January 6 does.”
For a crime as serious as the January 6th protests at the capital, Littlejohn’s case received very little media coverage. While the top news networks have been milking January 6th for years at this point, Monday’s ruling received a meager 19 seconds on NBC Nightly News.
While online articles on the subject can be found, along with a couple YouTube videos from Forbes and NBC, this story got next to no television coverage.
Perhaps more reporting will make its way forward in the hours and days to come. For now, the media isn’t quite as quick to jump on Littlejohn’s fate as they are other “attacks on democracy.”
