Miami, United States. President Donald Trump on Thursday sued the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department for $10 billion over the disclosure of his tax returns to the media in 2019 and 2020.
Complaint and allegations
In a complaint filed in Miami federal court, Trump, his adult sons, and his namesake company said the agencies failed to take “mandatory precautions” to prevent former IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn from leaking their tax returns to “leftist media outlets,” including the New York Times and ProPublica.
The plaintiffs said they suffered “significant and irreparable harm” to their reputations and financial interests, and may seek punitive damages because the leaks were either willful or resulted from gross negligence.
Unusual posture and agency response
The lawsuit places Trump in the position of suing government agencies that are part of the Executive Branch, which he leads.
The IRS is part of the Treasury Department. Neither agency immediately responded to requests for comment after business hours.
Scott Bessent, the Treasury Secretary and acting IRS commissioner, is not a defendant. Other plaintiffs include Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and the Trump Organization.
Other lawsuits and legal representation
Trump has filed many lawsuits in his personal capacity since winning a second White House term in 2024.
He sued the New York Times and book publisher Penguin Random House for $15 billion over articles and a book he said were intended to undermine his election prospects in 2024.
Trump is separately seeking $10 billion from the Wall Street Journal over an article discussing a birthday greeting for disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, and $10 billion from the BBC over its editing of a speech preceding the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol.
Alejandro Brito, a Florida-based lawyer, filed or helped file all of these lawsuits, as well as the lawsuit against the IRS and Treasury Department. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment after business hours.
What impact do you think this lawsuit could have on how U.S. agencies handle taxpayer information?
