IRS issues rare apology to billionaire Ken Griffin over tax records leak
What prompted the IRS to apologize to Ken Griffin?
The IRS apologized to Ken Griffin, the billionaire CEO of Citadel, after settling a lawsuit he filed against the agency in 2022. The lawsuit alleged that an IRS employee illegally leaked his tax returns to the news site ProPublica3. The IRS acknowledged its failure to prevent the unlawful disclosure of Griffin's confidential data and assured substantial investments in data security to strengthen the safeguarding of taxpayer information.
What information did Charles Littlejohn leak?
Charles Littlejohn leaked private tax information of former President Donald Trump and thousands of the nation's wealthiest individuals, including billionaire Ken Griffin. He obtained the data while working as an IRS contractor and provided it to news outlets such as The New York Times and ProPublica. Littlejohn was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to unauthorized disclosure of tax returns.
What lawsuit did Ken Griffin file against the IRS?
Ken Griffin, the CEO of Citadel, filed a lawsuit against the IRS in 2022, alleging that an IRS employee illegally leaked his tax returns to the news site ProPublica. The lawsuit followed the 2021 publication of Griffin's and other billionaires' tax information by ProPublica in a series called "The Secret IRS Files6."