this post was submitted on 29 Jan 2024
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The man who stole and leaked former President Donald Trump and thousands of other’s tax records has been sentenced to five years in prison.

In October, Charles Littlejohn, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized disclosures of income tax returns. According to his plea agreement, he stole Trump’s tax returns along with the tax data of “thousands of the nation’s wealthiest people,” while working for a consulting firm with contracts with the Internal Revenue Service.

Littlejohn leaked the information to two news outlets and deleted the documents from his IRS-assigned laptop before returning it and covered the rest of his digital tracks by deleting places where he initially stored the information.

Judge Ana Reyes highlighted the gravity of the crime, saying multiple times that it amounted to an attack against the US and its legal foundation.

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[–] [email protected] 404 points 9 months ago (3 children)

That's a longer sentence than many of the January 6th traitors.

[–] [email protected] 197 points 9 months ago (1 children)

This. Jan 6 traitors are getting slap on their wrists and pat on their backs

[–] [email protected] 112 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (5 children)

All Cops are Bastards, All Judges are Bastards, All Prosecutors are Bastards.

The entire fucking "justice" system is tilted towards forgiving and enabling right-wing violence while labeling left-wing protest as "terrorism" that justifies lethal force.

[–] [email protected] 64 points 9 months ago (3 children)

I always call it a legal system, because theres sure as hell no justice in it.

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[–] [email protected] 53 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Adding to this. The judge said "It engenders the same fear that January 6 does." So if this crime is just as bad Jan 6, shouldn't he be getting the same punishment as other Jan 6 traitors. Like you said, a shorter sentence. Not saying I agree with the judge but pick a side.

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[–] [email protected] 39 points 9 months ago (6 children)
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[–] [email protected] 294 points 9 months ago (7 children)

The judge compared Littlejohn’s actions to those of the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, noting that, “your actions were also a threat to our democracy.”

Because stealing and releasing tax documents is the same thing as attempting to violently overthrow the government.

[–] [email protected] 115 points 9 months ago (3 children)

“your actions were also a threat to our democracy.”

This is one of those exciting sentences where you have to substitute 'democracy' for 'rich people's yacht money'.

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[–] [email protected] 55 points 9 months ago (4 children)

So the judge is in with trump. Hope none of his cases go that guys way.

Like yeah, he broke the law and needed to be punished. But it wasn't government secrets, which i'm pretty sure is already legally coded separately from this guys crimes, and also neither of which are treason, which would be the capital attack.

So the guy blatantly spoke against his own legal experience for a political swing.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

She was appointed by Joe Biden and is an immigrant to this country from Uruguay. I don't think she's a Trump sycophant, I think she's just a lawful pedant and a fan of hyperbole.

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[–] [email protected] 53 points 9 months ago

Apparently Norway must hate democracy since all of their tax returns are public.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Is the judge part of the Sinclair media group?

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[–] [email protected] 164 points 9 months ago (1 children)

That's RIGHT! Releasing Tax Returns gets you MORE Jail Time then trying to violently overthrow the United States Government and HANG the Vice President! That will teach Hostile Countries to MESS with US!

[–] [email protected] 53 points 9 months ago (1 children)

The way we turned our backs on Afghani interpreters who tried to get asylum here should have shown Charles Littlejohn what happens to people who fight for America

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[–] [email protected] 161 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Yet holding onto classified documents, then hiding them and lying about it to investigators for months gets nothing but a very stern finger-wagging?

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[–] [email protected] 141 points 9 months ago (5 children)

Lol check out this bs: "The judge compared Littlejohn’s actions to those of the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, noting that, “your actions were also a threat to our democracy.”

“It engenders the same fear that January 6 does,” Reyes added."

[–] [email protected] 92 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Invasion of privacy is a very big deal to our legal system when it is the rich peoples’ big number papers.

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[–] [email protected] 68 points 9 months ago (1 children)

What an out of touch judge

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[–] [email protected] 123 points 9 months ago (6 children)

Leak a billionaires tax records: 5 years.

Literally rape while a billionaire: 0 years.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 9 months ago

Becoming president and attempting to overthrow the government: ???

Let's find out!

[–] [email protected] 31 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Rape a girl behind a dumpster, with rich parents: think about his swimming career! 6 months, 4 with good behavior.

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[–] [email protected] 123 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Pretty damn fast compared to how long its taking to prosecute Trump.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 9 months ago (5 children)

...because the leaker plead guilty. If he went to trial this would have taken longer.

Does no one read the article or understand basic legal processes?

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[–] [email protected] 103 points 9 months ago (1 children)

If you declare you are running for President, it should trigger an automatic disclosure of your entire tax record.

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[–] [email protected] 96 points 9 months ago (4 children)

Aight, I mean sure. It was wrong, but 5 years? I understand that not all judges sentence in the same way but 5 years? Insurrection gets basically gets butt pats and this guy gets 5 years?

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[–] [email protected] 81 points 9 months ago (16 children)

Anyone has ever deserved a pardon it's this guy

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[–] [email protected] 81 points 9 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 42 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

This is what the US does to heros that speak truth against the owner class.

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[–] [email protected] 79 points 9 months ago (32 children)

He was providing a public service since trump refused to release them like every other presidential candidate has done for decades. This should be considered the same as whistle blowing.

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[–] [email protected] 78 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Sucks that leaking those returns moved the needle exactly 0% in the fight against Trump.

[–] [email protected] 45 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (5 children)

Trump could be eating his own shit in front of a crowd during a rally and his followers will start doing the same.

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[–] [email protected] 76 points 9 months ago (53 children)

They made an example of them. That judge is well enough off to be thoroughly upset that somebody might release their crooked tax documents.

Honestly I think they should slip something into the law, for this type of leak if the person was lying and you release the document proving them lying that you get a slap on the wrist.

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[–] [email protected] 76 points 9 months ago (1 children)

too bad judge Reyes isnt going to tell us how serious it is to steal classified documents and sell them.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 9 months ago

Selling classified documents to Russian and Chinese interests is standard practice for the oligarchy though. Some petty serf peasant slapping a few feudal lords, that is a real crime in Neo Feudal America.

[–] [email protected] 73 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Charles Littlejohn is a hero.

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[–] [email protected] 67 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Coming from. Sweden where all tax records are public, it seems insane to get 5 years for revealing taxes.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 9 months ago (5 children)

Yeah, and wasn't Trump supposed to show his tax returns the moment he became president and promised he'd do it?

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[–] [email protected] 65 points 9 months ago (2 children)

How did they get him tried and sentenced so fast?

Every time I question why Trump isn't in jail already people keep telling me "these things take time".

Given that Trump is a high profile case, allowing them to take twice the time of a normal person would have still put him behind bars already.

[–] [email protected] 38 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

They didn't try him, he ~~pled~~ pleaded(?) guilty.

In October, Charles Littlejohn, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized disclosures of income tax returns.

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[–] [email protected] 63 points 9 months ago (6 children)

In a sane world, he would have been given a Medal of Honor

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[–] [email protected] 57 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I don't know if this sort of thing is allowed, but if outsiders can donate money to his prison commissary account, I will definitely donate.

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[–] [email protected] 51 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I've actually met this guy a few years ago... crazy... he was a pretty nice guy from what I recall - brought homemade cinnamon buns to a party.

Anyways, his friends set up a gofundme to donate for his legal fees, since of course it costs thousands to continue defending himself and his actions...

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[–] [email protected] 51 points 9 months ago (10 children)

If society survives long enough for this to become history, the act will be seen as as heroic. The hardest thing for the relatively comfortable, myself included, to do these days is risk that relative comfort and sacrifice our futures (civil and professional) for something that acts against all of the slow motion attacks on democracy going on right now. I don't know enough about him individually to say, but the act on its face us heroic and needed.

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[–] [email protected] 50 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Still more time than trump will ever serve.

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[–] [email protected] 47 points 9 months ago (3 children)

So who's donating to his commissary? I'd be willing to throw a 20 every now and then.

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[–] [email protected] 41 points 9 months ago (5 children)

Biden needs to pardon this guy right after elections

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[–] [email protected] 38 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Careful guys, he’s a hero

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