Only one of three major networks saw fit to give any coverage to a news item a federal judge called “an attack on our constitutional democracy,” “open season on our elected officials” and comparable to January 6 crimes. Additionally, Government attorneys called it “one of the most serious crimes in IRS history.” The story was the sentencing to five years in federal prison of Charles Littlejohn, the man who used his position in the IRS to leak the tax return of Donald Trump to the public.
To anybody who thinks the 5-year prison sentence IRS Contractor Charles Littlejohn got is excessive, it's the opposite. He got a slap on the wrist for the number of records he sent to the @nytimes and @propublica
Littlejohn leaked thousands of tax records, including for Trump… pic.twitter.com/vo6cuq6Hv4
— Kristi L. Talmadge (@KristiTalmadge) January 31, 2024
Littlejohn stole Trump’s tax return in September 2020 and gave it to the left-leaning New York Times. Despite the illegal means used to obtain it, the Times cited First Amendment grounds for publishing the data. The timing of Littlejohn’s theft — and the Times’ story — was clearly intended to impact the 2020 election.
Littlejohn also stole thousands of other returns over a 15-year period. They were from the wealthiest Americans and included the likes of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Warren Buffet. His data theft operation was sophisticated and included not just tax returns but private information such as stock trades and gambling winnings. “Indeed, he reorganized his entire life around this crime,” wrote the Justice Department about Littlejohn.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) had his own take on the sentencing — and he did not exactly find it overly harsh. He spoke in court, revealing he had been victimized by Littlejohn’s massive scheme and that it would take years for his family to recover. “Every American is a victim here,” he said in his statement. He referred to Littlejohn’s single-felony agreement with the Justice Department as the “plea deal of the century.”
Enthusiasm for the First Amendment did not seem to motivate the three major networks to delve into this story. NBC had a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it 19-second report on its Nightly News program on January 29. ABC and CBS did not cover the story at all. NBC’s minuscule coverage also characterized Littlejohn’s actions as a “leak” rather than “theft.”
Furthermore, NBC’s website ran a story that soft-peddled Littlejohn’s conviction by selecting a quote from U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes stating that Littlejohn “sincerely felt a moral imperative” to act as he did.
While sentencing guidelines recommend 18 months for the single count of unauthorized disclosure of tax returns and return information, Reyes gave Littlejohn 60 months. The Department of Justice said in a press release: “This sentence should serve as a warning to anyone who is considering emulating Mr. Littlejohn’s actions.”
