Trump sues his own administration for $10 billion after one former contractor’s actions caused ‘public embarrassment’

President Donald Trump is suing the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department for $10 billion. He claims these agencies failed to stop a former contractor from sharing his personal tax records without permission. This is a major legal action involving a serious privacy breach.

According to NBC News, the lawsuit was filed on Thursday at a federal courthouse in Miami. Trump is suing as a private citizen, not as president. The case also includes his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization. They argue the government did not take proper steps to prevent the unauthorized release of their tax returns.

The complaint states the defendants “have caused Plaintiffs reputational and financial harm, public embarrassment, unfairly tarnished their business reputations, portrayed them in a false light, and negatively affected President Trump, and the other Plaintiffs’ public standing.” The lawsuit seeks massive compensation for the damage to their reputation and public image.

The former IRS contractor who leaked the tax records is now serving prison time

The case centers on Charles Littlejohn, a former IRS contractor. Littlejohn was sentenced to five years in prison in 2024 after pleading guilty to leaking the tax records. His actions led to 2020 reports showing Trump paid only $750 in federal income taxes during 2016 and 2017.

Littlejohn’s crimes went beyond Trump’s records. He admitted in federal court to stealing tax records of thousands of wealthy people between 2019 and 2020. His victims included billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk. When the tax details first came out, Trump called the information “totally fake news” and “made up.”

He said the information had been “illegally obtained.” The IRS responded in 2024, calling Littlejohn’s actions “unacceptable.” They confirmed taking “aggressive action more generally to enhance data security” to prevent similar incidents.

This case puts Trump in an unusual spot since he’s suing his own administration. He told reporters last year he was seeking “a lot of money” from the federal government. He previously sought $230 million in damages from the Justice Department for related issues. Despite his casual attitude toward memory lapses, Trump has been clear about pursuing financial compensation.

Trump acknowledged the odd situation of potentially paying himself. He called it “awfully strange to make a decision where I’m paying myself.” He stated he would give any money to charities or use it “to the White House while we restore the White House.” His staff have recently tried referring to him as superhuman, though the legal battles continue regardless.

Trump has filed many lawsuits since returning to office, often for $10 billion. He recently sued a UK broadcaster, a financial publication and its owner Rupert Murdoch, a major bank, and another publication with reporters, all for billions in damages over various claims.