Trump Sues IRS and Treasury Department for $10 Billion, Accuses Agencies of Leaking His Tax Returns

Former President Donald Trump, joined by his sons Donald Jr. and Eric and the Trump Organization, filed a federal civil suit in Miami federal court on Jan. 29 seeking $10 billion from the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Treasury Department.

“President Donald Trump is suing the IRS and Treasury Department for $10 billion WASHINGTON --PresidentDonald Trumpis suing the IRS and Treasury Department for $10 billion, as he accuses the federal agencies of a failure to prevent aleak of the president's tax informationto news outlets between 2018 and 2020”

ABC News

The complaint alleges that the agencies failed to prevent a leak of his confidential tax returns in 2019–2020 by former IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn and that those disclosures caused "significant and irreparable" reputational and financial harm.

ABC News

The filing names The Times and ProPublica among outlets that reported on material allegedly obtained from the breach, and the plaintiffs say punitive damages may be sought for willful misconduct or gross negligence.

The complaint centers on former IRS contractor Charles "Chaz" Littlejohn, whom prosecutors say unlawfully accessed and disclosed tax-return information.

Multiple outlets report Littlejohn pleaded guilty and received a multi-year sentence.

BBC

Reporting across West Asian, Western mainstream, and alternative outlets says he admitted providing Trump-related material to The New York Times and that he stole records for thousands of other wealthy taxpayers.

Coverage consistently cites Littlejohn's conviction and criminal consequences as the factual underpinning for the civil claim.

Legally, the plaintiffs say the Treasury and IRS breached statutory duties and failed to implement adequate technical safeguards, employee screening, monitoring and internal controls that would have prevented the unauthorized disclosures.

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Benzinga

The complaint alleges agencies did not take mandatory precautions and accuses them of gross negligence, seeking compensatory and possible punitive damages for willful misconduct.

Some outlets note the suit stops short of suing the New York Times or ProPublica directly, instead focusing on government failures to protect confidential tax returns.

Observers and outlets place the lawsuit in a broader political and legal context.

Many note it is unusual for a sitting president to sue agencies within the executive branch and that the filing follows a string of high‑value lawsuits Trump has filed since his 2024 re‑election against media and other institutions.

Business Standard

The Treasury has taken administrative steps in response to the underlying breach, cancelling Booz Allen contracts.

The White House and supporters have framed the complaint as a defense of taxpayer privacy and an attack on what they call institutional failures at the IRS.

The outcome and wider consequences are uncertain and debated.

“Updated on: January 29, 2026 / 9:53 PM EST/ CBS News President Trump is suing the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department for at least $10 billion, claiming the agencies unlawfully allowed an IRS contractor to leak his tax returns and those of his sons and company”

CBS News

Some outlets note that, if successful, a multi‑billion award would create significant financial exposure and could ultimately fall on U.S. taxpayers.

CBS News

Others characterize the filing as part of a political strategy.

Several reports noted there was no immediate comment from the Treasury or the IRS at the time of filing.

Many emphasize the case is developing and is likely to prompt further legal and factual disputes over what safeguards were in place and what damages, if any, are recoverable.