A five-year prison term was handed down to the guy responsible for the theft and subsequent leak of thousands of people’s tax data, including those of former President Donald Trump.
The 38-year-old Charles Littlejohn admitted guilt on one count of tax return disclosure without authorization in October. While employed by a consulting firm that had contracts with the Internal Revenue Service, he allegedly stole tax returns belonging to Trump and “thousands of the nation’s wealthiest people,” as well as other taxpayer data, as stated in his plea bargain.
Before returning the IRS-issued laptop and covering his digital tracks, Littlejohn disclosed the information to two news outlets and erased all traces of the documents from it.
Repeatedly, Judge Ana Reyes emphasised the seriousness of the offence by emphasising that it was an assault on the United States and its legal system.
You attacked our constitutional democracy, Reyes remarked, by going after the president while he was in office. “We’re discussing an individual who… orchestrated the largest theft in IRS records.”
“Your actions were also a threat to our democracy,” the court said, drawing parallels between Littlejohn’s behaviour and the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021.
“It creates the same level of anxiety that January 6 does,” Reyes chimed in.
Using security weaknesses, Littlejohn allegedly downloaded data to an Apple iPod and then uploaded it to a private website, which he subsequently removed, all in an effort to steal the tax documents without anybody noticing.
The Justice Department’s choice to press only one charge against Littlejohn was another point of contention for Reyes.
“I have no words for the fact that he did what he did and he’s facing one felony count,” the judge remarked. The prosecution contended that Littlejohn’s numerous thefts and disclosures are encompassed by the one count.
Prosecutors recommended a maximum sentence of five years in prison for Littlejohn in a court filing. The filing highlighted the importance of a free press and public engagement with the media for a healthy democracy, but it also stated that stealing and leaking private, personal tax information strips individuals of the legal protection of their most sensitive data.
Littlejohn stated in court on Monday, “I acted out of a sincere misguided belief,” while also mentioning his service to the nation and the public’s right to see their tax information.
“When we are all appropriately informed, we as a nation make the best decisions,” Littlejohn stated.
The fact that Littlejohn would be here, in federal court, confronting those repercussions was something he was “aware of the potential consequences” of, he said.
The fragile faith in US government institutions is undermined, Littlejohn added, by his conduct.