Charles Littlejohn: Man who stole and leaked Trump tax records sentenced to 5 years in prison | CNN Politics
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The man who stole and leaked former President Donald Trump and thousands of other’s tax records has been sentenced to five years in prison.

The man who stole and leaked former President Donald Trump and thousands of other’s tax records has been sentenced to five years in prison.

In October, Charles Littlejohn, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized disclosures of income tax returns. According to his plea agreement, he stole Trump’s tax returns along with the tax data of “thousands of the nation’s wealthiest people,” while working for a consulting firm with contracts with the Internal Revenue Service.

Littlejohn leaked the information to two news outlets and deleted the documents from his IRS-assigned laptop before returning it and covered the rest of his digital tracks by deleting places where he initially stored the information.

Judge Ana Reyes highlighted the gravity of the crime, saying multiple times that it amounted to an attack against the US and its legal foundation.

  • DharkStare@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2972·
    11 months ago

    The judge compared Littlejohn’s actions to those of the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, noting that, “your actions were also a threat to our democracy.”

    Because stealing and releasing tax documents is the same thing as attempting to violently overthrow the government.

    • Hegar@kbin.social
      1161·
      11 months ago

      “your actions were also a threat to our democracy.”

      This is one of those exciting sentences where you have to substitute ‘democracy’ for ‘rich people’s yacht money’.

      • Zoboomafoo@slrpnk.net
        52·
        11 months ago

        I disagree. As commendable as his actions are, he clearly broke a law that is there for a good reason.

        • Kiwi@lemmy.world
          3·
          11 months ago

          But how did it endanger democracy? Every president ever has willingly released the documents he leaked. How were his actions dangerous?

          • Zoboomafoo@slrpnk.net
            11·
            11 months ago

            “Trust in the system” is a resource that needs managing. If the contractor got off lightly, it would erode the trust people have that the IRS will manage their information.

            Let alone the fact that a light sentence for a guy who leaked the administration’s foe’s information would be incredibly corrupt

    • AnonTwo@kbin.social
      582·
      11 months ago

      So the judge is in with trump. Hope none of his cases go that guys way.

      Like yeah, he broke the law and needed to be punished. But it wasn’t government secrets, which i’m pretty sure is already legally coded separately from this guys crimes, and also neither of which are treason, which would be the capital attack.

      So the guy blatantly spoke against his own legal experience for a political swing.

      • buddascrayon@lemmy.world
        35·
        11 months ago

        She was appointed by Joe Biden and is an immigrant to this country from Uruguay. I don’t think she’s a Trump sycophant, I think she’s just a lawful pedant and a fan of hyperbole.

      • shalafi@lemmy.worldEnglish
        62·
        11 months ago

        I was going to argue that the attack on the Capitol (though your spelling may more accurately reflect real life) was not treason. No enemies were afforded aid or comfort.

        “Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or imprisoned and fined, and incapable of holding any U.S. office.” [emphasis mine]

        Now I’m rethinking my life. How could I have been so wrong about such a pivotal event in my life?!

        (For any of your assholes thinking I’m a 01/06 sympathizer or apologist, I doubt you personally know anymore more angry. Given my druthers, I’d ask the court to impose the death penalty and carry it out personally. And I’m not some angry, young, keyboard warrior talking. I’ve thought on this much.)

    • SeaJ@lemm.ee
      53·
      11 months ago

      Apparently Norway must hate democracy since all of their tax returns are public.

    • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      26·
      11 months ago

      Fucking judges are blowhards stuck up their own ass wanting to make the judgments they hand down sound more important than they are.

      It’s all about feeding their giant fucking egos.

    • SaltySalamander@kbin.social
      23·
      11 months ago

      Friend of mine recently was busted with an ounce of pot, he was compared to Al Capone in court by the judge. Judges can be straight sociopathic.