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Legal Claim Summary
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Primary Sources
Trump seeks 'resolution' of his $10bn lawsuit against IRS, spurring ...
Court filings have indicated that lawyers for President Donald Trump are seeking a resolution with the Department of Justice over a $10bn lawsuit he filed against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).But the trouble, critics say, is that such a settlement would leave Trump essentially negotiating with an executive branch under his control.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3A president suing himself? Why experts say Trump’s $10bn lawsuit might faillist 2 of 3BBC files motion asking US court to throw out Trump’s $10bn lawsuitlist 3 of 3US judge dismisses Trump’s $10bn lawsuit against WSJ over Epstein storyend of listFriday’s court filing, however, emphasises the efficiency of seeking a settlement.In the document, Trump’s lawyers call for the case to be paused for 90 days to allow a resolution to be hammered out.“This limited pause will neither prejudice the parties nor delay ultimate resolution,” the filing says. “Rather, the extension will promote judicial economy and allow the Parties to explore avenues that could narrow or resolve the issues efficiently.”How did the case start?The case stems from an incident that began in 2017, when a worker named Charles “Chaz” Littlejohn was re-hired as a contractor through the government consulting firm Booz Allen.While working on IRS files, Littlejohn stole copies of Trump’s tax returns, which had been the source of prolonged public scrutiny.Until Trump, every president since Richard Nixon had released their tax returns as a gesture of transparency. Trump, however, claimed he could not, citing ongoing audits.The tax returns Littlejohn stole were ultimately released to the media, and in 2020, The New York Times released a series of articles that showed Trump paid no income taxes in 10 of the 15 preceding years.Other years, he paid relatively small sums, like $750, because he reported more losses than gains. ProPublica also ran stories based on the leaked tax returns, highlighting inconsistencies and Trump’s low tax payments.Privacy law protects taxpayer information from being released by the IRS without explicit permission. Littlejohn was sentenced to five years in prison in 2024.But in late January of this year, Trump filed a lawsuit arguing that he, his businesses and his sons Eric and Donald Jr had suffered “significant and irreparable harm” from the leaks.The defendants in the lawsuit were the IRS and its overseeing body, the Treasury Department, both of which are part of the executive branch.“Defendants h...
Trump, IRS in talks to resolve $10B lawsuit over tax leaks
April 17, 2026, 5:49 p.m. ETFederal agencies are engaging in discussions to resolve a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump and his family over the leak of their tax information to news organizations, according to new federal court filings.In January, Trump, his two eldest sons and the Trump family business filed a lawsuit against the IRS and the Treasury Department over the unauthorized disclosure, which took place during the first Trump administration.The Trump legal team, in a Friday filing to Florida’s Southern District Court, requested a 90-day extension in all proceedings. The Trump legal team said in the filing that “good cause exists to grant an extension in this matter while the Parties engage in discussions designed to resolve this matter and to avoid protracted litigation.”The extension, they wrote, would “allow the Parties to explore avenues that could narrow or resolve the issues efficiently.” The filing did not detail any possible resolution.When contacted for comment, the White House referred The Washington Post to Trump’s personal lawyers. The Trump legal team and the Treasury Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The IRS referred questions to the Justice Department, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon.The lawsuit, when it was filed, sought at least $10 billion in damages, claiming that the federal government did not properly safeguard the tax returns “from unauthorized inspection and public disclosure.”Trump is suing the government in a personal capacity, not as president.Former IRS consultant Charles E. Littlejohn was sentenced in 2024 to five years in prison for stealing the tax returns of Trump and thousands of other wealthy Americans between 2018 and 2020and providing them to ProPublica and the New York Times.Along with the January lawsuit targeting the IRS, Trump has engaged in other legal efforts to claim a large amount of money against the government he oversees. He previously sought damages over the Justice Department’s investigations into the connection between Russia and his 2016 presidential campaign, and pursued a case over the FBI’s 2022 search of his Mar-a-Lago property over alleged mishandling of classified documents.Earlier this week, Democratic lawmakers announced plans to introduce legislation that would, among other guardrails, bar sitting presidents and vice presidents from collecting settlement payments from the United States. The bill, called the Ba...
Trump's $10 Billion Showdown with the IRS Over Tax Return Leaks
Donald Trump's legal team is negotiating with the IRS to settle a $10 billion lawsuit concerning leaked tax returns. The case, paused for discussions, involves Trump's claims against the IRS for financial harm caused by the leaks. Former IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn is charged with the leak.
A US judge dismissed Donald Trump's $10bn lawsuit against The Wall ...
2h A US judge dismissed Donald Trump's $10bn lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over a story alleging he wrote a letter in a birthday book for Jeffrey Epstein, finding the paper did not act with 'actual malice'. ft.trib.al/ZQvSNqe 💬 14
