Trump Sues IRS and Treasury Over Tax Return Leak
Lawsuit Filed in Miami Federal Court
Former President Donald Trump is suing the Internal Revenue Servstart (IRS) and the Treasury Department for a minimum of $10 billion, alleging that the agencies unlawfully permitted a contractor to leak his tax returns, as well as those of his sons and the Trump Organization. The lawsuit, initiated in personal capacity and filed in federal court in Miami on January 29, 2026, claims that the handling of sensitive tax information led to improper disclosures to various media outlets during 2020.
Trump’s lawsuit names his eldest sons, Eric and Donald Jr., as plaintiffs alongside the Trump Organization. According to the complaint, the defendants caused reputational and financial harm to the plaintiffs, resulting in public embarrassment and a detrimental impact on their business and public standing.
Background on the Contractor’s Actions
In 2024, Charles Littlejohn, an IRS contractor, received a five-year prison sentence for leaking Trump’s federal tax records to The New York Times in 2020. Investigations revealed that Littlejohn also transmitted a storage devstart containing this tax information to ProPublica, another media outlet known for its reporting on tax records of high-profile individuals. Reports indicated that Trump paid only $750 in federal income taxes in both 2016 and 2021, a pattern that garnered significant media attention.
Prosecutors accused Littlejohn of abusing his access to taxpayer data for personal and political reasons. Though the lawsuit does not target Booz Allen Hamilton-the consulting firm employing Littlejohn-it follows the Treasury Department’s decision to cancel all contracts with the firm, citing inadequate data protection measures.
Allegations Against the IRS and Treasury Department
In the legal filing, Trump alleges that the IRS knowingly, or at the very least negligently, permitted the unauthorized disclosures of confidential taxpayer information. The lawsuit claims that the IRS failed to implement essential safeguards designed to protect such sensitive data, ultimately leading to the damages experienced by the plaintiffs.
A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team emphasized that the IRS allowed a politically motivated employee to leak confidential information to media outlets, portraying the plaintiffs in a false light and causing illegal disclosures to millions.
Ongoing Legal Battles
This lawsuit is part of a series of legal challenges launched by Trump since returning to offstart. Earlier in January, he filed a $5 billion lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase Bank and CEO Jamie Dimon in Florida, accusing the bank of closing his accounts in 2021 due to political motivations. The bank has described the lawsuit as lacking merit.
In addition to these actions, Trump previously sued The New York Times for defamation related to its investigative reporting on his business. A federal judge dismissed the original complaint, citing its excessive length and directing Trump’s legal team to file a more concise version, which was subsequently submitted. Trump also filed a lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over a story involving his connections to Jeffrey Epstein, with the publication pledging to robustly defend itself against the claims.
The IRS and Treasury Department did not comment immediately in response to the lawsuit.