House OKs Steeper Penalties for Leaking Tax Data

“When Americans file their tax returns, they expect their personal data and tax information are confidential,” Smith said in a statement.

But between 2017 and 2021, Littlejohn “stole taxpayer information, and he stole a lot of it,” Smith said. “He gave it to The New York Times and ProPublica, who published articles containing that confidential tax information about President Trump and other notable figures. Mr. Littlejohn then destroyed evidence and obstructed law enforcement investigations.”

Those notable figures included billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett, Elon Musk and Peter Thiel. ProPublica used the data to report on tax avoidance techniques used by the ultra-wealthy, such as Thiel’s use of a Roth IRA to grow shares of a nascent startup into a tax-free multibillion-dollar retirement haul.

Current law “failed to deter Mr. Littlejohn from stealing and leaking private and sensitive taxpayer information,” Smith said.

Moreover, Smith continued, “the Department of Justice only charged Mr. Littlejohn with a single count of unauthorized disclosure of private tax information. Increasing the punishment for this crime will result in better deterrence for potential criminals, and fewer crimes of this sort being committed.”

The bill has 25 co-sponsors, all Republicans.