In an unprecedented legal move, President Donald Trump has initiated a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department, alleging systemic failures that enabled the unauthorized disclosure of his confidential tax documents to media outlets. The complaint, filed Thursday in Miami federal court, names Trump, his adult sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization as plaintiffs.
The legal action centers on the activities of former IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn, who previously pleaded guilty to leaking tax information and is currently serving a five-year prison sentence. The plaintiffs contend that both agencies neglected to implement mandatory security protocols, thereby facilitating Littlejohn’s transmission of sensitive financial data to what the lawsuit characterizes as ‘leftist media organizations,’ including The New York Times and ProPublica.
According to court documents, the publications derived from these leaks—eight articles in The New York Times and approximately fifty in ProPublica—inflicted substantial and irreparable damage to the plaintiffs’ reputations and financial interests. The complaint further alleges that the disclosures resulted in public embarrassment, false light portrayal, and diminished public standing for all involved parties.
This litigation places President Trump in the unusual position of suing executive branch agencies that operate under his presidential authority. The Treasury Department, which oversees the IRS, has not issued an immediate response to requests for comment. Notably, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who also serves as acting IRS commissioner, is not named as a defendant in the proceedings.
The lawsuit suggests that the leaks stemmed from either willful misconduct or gross negligence, potentially justifying punitive damages beyond the $10 billion compensatory claim. Alejandro Brito, a Florida-based attorney who has represented Trump in multiple high-profile cases, filed the complaint. Brito has not yet responded to media inquiries regarding the litigation.
This action continues President Trump’s pattern of pursuing substantial financial claims against media organizations and government entities since his 2024 election victory. Previous lawsuits include a $15 billion claim against The New York Times and Penguin Random House, separate $10 billion actions against The Wall Street Journal and BBC, and various other litigation stemming from media coverage and published materials.