Posted by Ansh Vakharia.
My name is Ansh Vakharia I am a freshman at Seton Hall University, and I am majoring in finance. When I was a kid, the news line about Edward Snowden really intrigued me, which is why I decided to read an article about data breaching. In the article “IRS Leaker Sought Job With Aim of Releasing Trump Tax Returns, DOJ Says” by Richard Rubin, it discusses the consequences of Charles Littlejohn, an IRS worker who leaked Donald Trump’s tax returns. Before his deliberate plan, Charles Littlejohn worked for Booz Allen Hamilton, with a primary focus on the consulting firm’s contracts with the Internal Revenue Service. In late 2018, Littlejohn had an articulate plan to leak Trump’s tax returns from an IRS database. Rather than going through the individual records, Littlejohn decided to employ search limits that would include Trump’s tax information without taking a big risk. Although Littlejohn came prepared, he faced issues due to the IRS being able to track large downloads of data. However, he created a loophole in the system by downloading the information from his private website. Henceforth, Trump’s private tax returns were leaked. Littlejohn’s sophisticated ability to maneuver through IRS deception shows his proficiency in completing data breaches.
Littlejohn’s articulate plans would come crashing down as federal prosecutors accused Littlejohn of unauthorized disclosure of tax information. In the 15-page court filing, prosecutors stated, “A free press and public engagement with the media are critical to any healthy democracy, but stealing and leaking private, personal tax information strips individuals of the legal protection of their most sensitive data.” Littlejohn pleaded guilty to the charges, and prosecutors are demanding Littlejohn face up to 5 years in prison. The case shows the importance of maintaining privacy for confidential information and how leaking information puts lives in jeopardy. In addition, it shows how complex data breaching cases are complicated due to prosecutors speculating that other malicious people were involved in the breach. “In a court filing Friday, Justice Department lawyers said Griffin “refuses to accept that Littlejohn acted alone.” Not only does this case show the consequences of Charles Littlejohn, but it also highlights the importance of fortifying security defenses.
This case is very similar to Edward Snowden’s leaking NDA files; however, I do believe Littlejohn’s case is quite worse due to Snowden’s case involving the general public. I don’t have an opinion on Snowden since I don’t know his true intentions. However, I believe Little John deserves to be prosecuted due to his violation of the 4th Amendment. The deliberate plan to leak someone’s private tax returns raises ethical and security concerns not only for Trump but also for US citizens. The case highlights a connection with the media and the general public: reporting on such events can cause public trust in the government to decline and public enlightenment on how important cybersecurity jobs are. In the future, I do believe they will be the most pivotal jobs to ensure citizen privacy and security. In conclusion, the verdict of Charles Littlejohn seems ethical based on his deliberate attempt to evade IRS security loopholes and his pleading, which was guilty.
Ansh is a finance major at the Stillman School of Business, Seton Hall University, Class of 2027.