This week, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) made a rare and surprising move by issuing an apology to billionaire Ken Griffin. The apology was in response to the agency’s leak of sensitive information about a group of wealthy Americans, including Griffin. This unexpected act of contrition stands out, as the IRS is not known for admitting wrongdoings or extending apologies, despite its reputation for corruption and incompetency.
Charles Littlejohn, a contractor at Booz Allen Hamilton who was working for the IRS, brazenly stole thousands of wealthy American taxpayers’ information, including that of former President Donald Trump and billionaire Ken Griffin. Littlejohn then proceeded to disclose Trump’s tax information to The New York Times and information about other wealthy individuals to ProPublica. He claimed to be motivated by a desire to seek financial equity, and that his action was a service to the country. The leaked information was the basis of several articles published by both the NYT and ProPublica that criticized billionaires such as Trump and Griffin for allegedly avoiding paying federal and state income taxes through financial gimmicks and legal loopholes.
Ken Griffin sued the IRS in December 2022 over the leak. Rather than admitting wrongdoings, the government fought every step of the way. According to The Wall Street Journal, even though the government knew Littlejohn was the culprit, it continued denying any knowledge of what happened and who did it publicly. After Littlejohn was identified, the government tried to argue that Littlejohn wasn’t a government employee when he
