Charles Littlejohn, a former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) contractor convicted of leaking former President Donald Trump tax returns, received a five-year prison sentence on Monday Fox News reports.

The sentencing, delivered by federal District Judge Ana Reyes, also includes 36 months of supervised release and a $5,000 fine.

Judge Reyes condemned Littlejohn's actions, characterizing the Donald Trump tax leak as "an intolerable attack on our constitutional democracy."

"The press tells us Democracy dies in darkness. It also dies in lawlessness," Judge Reyes stated during the sentencing.

"There are numerous lawful means to bring things to light. Trump was under no obligation to expose his returns. People could vote for someone else. They could run against him," she added.

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Unprecedented Offense and Sentencing

Littlejohn, who worked as an IRS contractor, stole tax data from thousands of affluent Americans, including the tax returns of then-President Trump.

The sentencing imposed on him is the statutory maximum penalty for the offense, according to BBC.

Judge Reyes emphasized the severity of Littlejohn's actions, calling it "an attack on our constitutional democracy."

"He targeted the sitting president of the United States of America, which is exceptional by any measure. It cannot be open season on our elected officials," she stated.

In a brief statement to the court, Littlejohn acknowledged his crime and expressed awareness of its potential consequences.

He claimed to be driven by a desire for transparency.

"I made my decision with full knowledge that I would likely end up in a courtroom to answer for my serious crime. I used my skills to systematically violate the privacy of thousands of people," the former IRS contractor said.

Despite Littlejohn's claim that he acted out of a moral belief in the right of the American people to know the information, Judge Reyes remained firm in her sentencing decision.

She asserted that imposing the maximum penalty would clearly convey that his conduct was unacceptable and unjustifiable.

Littlejohn, the former IRS contractor responsible for Donald Trump tax leak, had pleaded guilty in October to one count of disclosing tax return information.

Although the charging records did not explicitly name Trump as the victim, Littlejohn identified him in court and revealed providing information to media outlets, the New York Times and ProPublica.

Prosecution's Stance and Government Response

Government attorneys pressed for the maximum prison sentence, arguing that Littlejohn "sought to influence an election and reshape the nation's political discourse."

They characterized his actions as one of the most serious crimes in IRS history, CBS noted.

The acting head of the Justice Department's criminal division, Nicole Argentieri, responded to the sentencing.

"Today's sentence sends a strong message that those who violate laws intended to protect sensitive tax information will face significant punishment," she said.

Prosecutors detailed in their sentencing memo that Littlejohn returned to an IRS-related position to gain access to Donald Trump tax records.

They alleged he exploited a computing system loophole to upload stolen data to a private website and leaked it to an unnamed news organization six months later.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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