Biden Could Pardon Leaker of Trump’s Tax Records

By Staff, Agencies

The administration of outgoing US President Joe Biden is formally considering commuting the sentence of Charles Littlejohn, according to the Justice Department’s pardon database. 

A former IRS employee has been convicted of illegally disclosing the tax records of wealthy Americans, including those of US President-elect Donald Trump.

Littlejohn's pending clemency comes as Biden, set to leave on January 20, has issued numerous pardons and commutations, including for his son, Hunter Biden, for tax evasion and firearms violations.

Littlejohn was sentenced to five years in prison for the largest theft in IRS history, after pleading guilty in October 2024.

Former IRS contractor admitted to stealing tax records of thousands of high-ranking US citizens and leaking them to the New York Times and ProPublica.

 In 2021, ProPublica released a series of articles which reflected the data shared by Littlejohn.

The New York Times reported in September 2020 that Trump only paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017, often not paying due to losses.

Furthermore, the New York Times' editor defended press rights to legally obtain newsworthy information on wealthy Americans' taxes, while ProPublica spokespersons remain unaware of the source's identity.