House Republicans announced a probe Thursday into what they said was the Justice Department’s lenient treatment of the man who leaked then-President Trump’s taxes.
Federal prosecutors agreed to a plea deal that included just a single charge against Charles Littlejohn, even though he not only leaked Mr. Trump’s taxes but also leaked information on 7,600 other taxpayers, covering some of the nation’s richest citizens.
Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said the Justice Department needed to explain why it went soft on Littlejohn’s “shocking” crimes.
“The Department’s decision to pursue just one charge for ’thousands’ of separate criminal acts is highly concerning, and we worry that the Department’s decision may be politically motivated,” wrote Mr. Jordan, Ohio Republican.
Littlejohn was sentenced to five years in prison for one count of unauthorized disclosure of tax information.
Judge Ana Reyes expressed surprise that federal prosecutors only pursued one count against him.
“The fact that he is facing one felony count, I have no words for,” she said.
Mr. Jordan asked Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri to turn over files detailing how the Justice Department made its decisions about charging Littlejohn.
The Washington Times has reached out to the Justice Department for this story.
Prosecutors said Littlejohn had worked for an IRS contractor years ago, left the job, then returned in 2017 with the express goal of gaining a post where he could access Mr. Trump’s taxes.
He saw himself as a sort of data Robin Hood, giving the public information it had a right to see, despite the law making it illegal to disclose taxpayers’ information. Even after his conviction, he cast himself as a well-meaning crusader.
He shared Mr. Trump’s data with The New York Times, and he gave the wealthy taxpayers’ information to ProPublica.
Prosecutors said the steps he took to conceal his actions and the breadth of his second breach of the wealthy Americans’ information undercut Littlejohn’s arguments. They also pointed out that Mr. Trump’s tax information would eventually be disclosed by Congress using the method written into the law.
After being excoriated for going light on the charges, the Justice Department requested the maximum five-year penalty for Littlejohn. He, meanwhile, had asked for leniency, saying that serving five years would hurt his ability to start a family with his girlfriend.
Judge Reyes sided with prosecutors.
Mr. Jordan said the initial charging decision showed “questionable leniency.”
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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