The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently disclosed a startling revelation to House Republicans - a former contractor has leaked the private data of more than 400,000 taxpayers, a number that is nearly six times higher than initially estimated.
Doug O’Donnell, the acting IRS commissioner, informed House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) that the agency had notified 405,427 taxpayers about the breach caused by the contractor, Charles Littlejohn.
Details of the Breach
Last year, the agency had initially reported that around 70,000 businesses and individuals were affected by Littlejohn's actions. However, the recent disclosure has shed light on the extent of the breach.
Charles Littlejohn was sentenced to five years in prison for the unauthorized disclosures, which included tax returns of notable figures like President Donald Trump and entrepreneur Elon Musk, who is currently spearheading a government downsizing initiative.
Media Coverage
The New York Times covered the revelations regarding President Trump's tax returns, while ProPublica published articles on Musk and several other affluent individuals.
O’Donnell clarified that the majority of those contacted were businesses, but individual information might also have been compromised. For example, President Trump has previously disclosed his ownership of numerous pass-through entities, where the owner reports business taxes on their personal tax return.
Further Investigations
The IRS anticipates notifying a small number of additional taxpayers about their compromised information in the coming days.
Republicans have expressed concerns about the handling of the case, suggesting that more stringent actions could have been taken against Littlejohn, who was charged with unauthorized disclosure of tax return information.
Meanwhile, O’Donnell is on the brink of retirement from the IRS. His impending departure coincides with Musk's Department of Government Efficiency seeking access to IRS systems and the Trump administration's workforce reduction efforts.