Trump sues IRS and Treasury Department for $10 billion over tax return leaks

Jan 29 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday sued the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department for $10 billion over the disclosure of his tax returns to the media in 2019 and 2020.

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.

Thursday’s lawsuit puts Trump in the unusual 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.

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