IRS apologizes for data breach that leaked taxpayer information [Video]

WASHINGTON D.C. — The Internal Revenue Service issued a public apology Tuesday in relation to data breaches that leaked taxpayer information to two media organizations. The apology was part of a settlement reached by the IRS and Kenneth Griffin, a man who sued the IRS over the breaches.

The data was stolen by Charles Littlejohn, a former government contractor who originally stole tax information of a high-ranking government official in 2019 and a year later stole the information of thousands of wealthy taxpayers.

The stolen information was eventually provided to media outlets and used in a series of news articles detailing the tax records of some government officials and other wealthy people.

Littlejohn pleaded guilty in October 2023 to a charge of unauthorized disclosure of tax returns and return information. He was sentenced earlier this year to five years in prison.

“The Internal Revenue Service sincerely apologizes to Mr. Kenneth …