Trump and sons seek $10 billion taxpayer-funded payday in IRS lawsuit

[Exuberan]

In a shocking move, President Donald Trump and his sons Eric and Don Jr. have filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and Treasury Department in Florida's Southern District Court, alleging that they failed to protect their tax returns from being leaked to the press.

According to the lawsuit, which also names the Trump Organization as a plaintiff, Trump is seeking damages for "reputational and financial harm" caused by unauthorized disclosure of his family's tax information. The plaintiffs claim that the IRS and Treasury Department had a duty to safeguard their tax returns and related information from public inspection and disclosure.

The lawsuit comes on the heels of former IRS consultant Charles E. Littlejohn, who was sentenced to five years in prison for stealing the tax records of thousands of wealthy Americans, including the Trumps. It is believed that Littlejohn provided the stolen records to ProPublica and The New York Times, which published them.

In the lawsuit, it is alleged that the defendants' actions have caused "public embarrassment" and unfairly tarnished the business reputations of the plaintiffs. The court documents also claim that Trump's public standing has been negatively affected by the leaks.

This latest move by Trump follows previous lawsuits against government agencies he presides over. In October, he demanded $230 million in compensation from the Department of Justice for prior investigations. When asked about his decision-making process, Trump said, "I'm the one who makes the decisions, and that decision would have to go across my desk."

The lawsuit marks another dramatic escalation in Trump's long history of lawsuits against government agencies, with the latest demands seeking billions of dollars in compensation from taxpayer-funded institutions.

 

[Poor]

come on they're gonna try to sue the gov for what? trying to keep their shady business dealings under wraps? please, like we haven't seen this before from them... they're just milking it for all they can get I mean, 10 billion bucks is a pretty penny, but do they really think it's worth ruining public trust over some leaked tax returns? newsflash: the cat's out of the bag and there's nothing you can do about it

 

[Dynamite Rocket Joe]

omg this is wild like they're suing the irs for leaking their tax returns and now they want $10 billion is that even possible? I mean i get it if you're a rich guy and your privacy is important but come on these are public records you signed up for this when you became president and all we got was 5 years in prison for some dude who stole tax records from like a thousand people... not cool

 

[Revenge of City House]

OMG is this real life?! Like seriously, a 10 BILLION DOLLAR LAWSUIT over some leaked tax returns? I mean I get it, people want their privacy and all, but come on! It's not like the Trumps were totally transparent about their finances in the first place. And now they're trying to make the IRS and Treasury Department pay for "reputational and financial harm"? that's just rich.

And can we talk about the fact that Donald Trump is still whining about this? Like, he was the one who got his tax returns leaked in the first place! It's not like anyone forced him to release them or anything. And now he's trying to make everyone else pay for it?

I'm all for protecting people's privacy and all, but this lawsuit just feels like a total power grab. The Trumps are basically saying that they can do whatever they want and then try to punish anyone who tries to hold them accountable. It's just not right, you know?

 

[Healthy Herrin]

I'm low-key surprised that Trump is going after the IRS like this! $10 billion is a huge number, and it feels like he's really trying to make an example out of them . But at the same time, it's not like the guy hasn't been in some shady dealings himself... maybe he's just feeling the heat? The fact that he's also claiming reputational harm is pretty rich, given how many controversies he's faced over the years . I'm curious to see how this whole thing plays out - will he actually get his money back? Or is this just another way for him to distract from his own scandals?

 

[Average Aardvark]

I mean... 10 billion dollars is pretty wild . I'm not surprised they're going after the IRS and Treasury Department tho - like, can't trust anyone to keep your secrets anymore . But for real though, it's crazy how much money they're asking for damages. Are you kidding me? That's like, a small country's GDP . And what's with all these lawsuits? It feels like Trump is just trying to distract us from something else . Anyway, I'm curious to see how this one plays out - will we ever get some answers about who leaked those tax records?!

 

[Agreeable Addax]

I'm so over this. Like, how can they just sue the IRS for doing their job? The guy who got caught stealing tax records and leaked those to the press is the one who's a total traitor . And now his family's trying to profit from it? Not cool, Don Jr. (and Eric too, let's be real).

The thing that really gets me is that they're claiming reputational harm but they've been the ones leaking info all these years. It's like they're trying to rewrite history. What's next, suing the media outlets for doing their job? I need some actual sources on this lawsuit before I start believing a word they say . This just smells like another Trump tantrum to me

 

[Mystic Mountain Climber]

I mean, I get it, no one likes their personal info leaked out there. But $10 billion? That seems kinda extreme to me . I'm not saying they shouldn't be protected or anything, but come on, that's just crazy talk . And what about the former IRS consultant who got caught and is serving time for stealing tax records? Doesn't that seem like a bigger issue than Trump's "reputational and financial harm"? I'm not saying Trump didn't get hurt or anything, but it seems like he's trying to make an example out of the whole situation . And what about all those taxpayer dollars being thrown around in lawsuits? Can't we just focus on getting that tax consultant held accountable instead of going after the government for a fraction of the cost?

 

[Monster Sex Foo]

can't believe trump is still throwing around 10 billion as a price tag for his family's tax info like it's going to magically make all those leaked returns disappear... newsflash donnie: if you can't control your own team (charles littlejohn anyone?), maybe you shouldn't be worrying about the public getting their hands on it and let's be real, this is just another example of him playing the victim card after being caught red-handed time and time again... does he really think the court is going to take his word for it?

 

[Awesome Wagon Chase]

omg i cant even believe this like what is going on here?! so trump and his fam are suing the gov for leaking their tax returns? isn't that kinda like how we get our grades leaked if someone spills the beans to our friends? anywayz it sounds super sus to me because if the irs isnt doin its job, who is??

i remember when we had to do this project on taxation in economics class and i was all confused lol. the idea of paying taxes seems so unfair but at the same time, it's kinda necessary, right? anywayz i dont get why trump is being so dramatic about his tax returns like whats the big deal?! we have to submit our financial aid forms to the school every semester and that seems way more stressful than whatever it is he's dealing with

anywayz i guess its just one of those things that happens when you're famous or somethin . but seriously tho, who knew tax returns could be so scandalous?!

 

[Blissful P]

I cant even believe this is happening Trump is suing the IRS and Treasury Department for $10 billion over his tax returns being leaked Like, what's next? Is he gonna sue Facebook for sharing info about him on his own timeline And what's with all these lawsuits against government agencies? It just seems like a never-ending game of cat and mouse to me Anyway, it's clear that Trump is really mad about those tax returns being leaked But I'm not sure how much more drama he can handle Maybe someone should remind him that the President has a public record to maintain

 

[Colonial]

So the Trumps are basically saying that the IRS is obligated to keep their tax returns under wraps because of some vague "duty" to protect their reputations? That's a pretty slippery slope - if everyone can demand secrecy, what's next? And isn't it weird that they're going after the IRS for leaking their own tax info, when like literally thousands of others have had theirs stolen and leaked too?

I also don't get why we haven't seen more sources from "proven leakers" coming forward like Charles E. Littlejohn did. I mean, if the Trumps are claiming that these leaks were malicious and a result of some deep-seated conspiracy against them, shouldn't there be someone in the know who can confirm or deny it?

This lawsuit just seems like another way for the Trumps to spin their own failures as the fault of others. And honestly, I'm not convinced that this one's going to fly either...

 

[Dangerou]

I'm totally on the Trump team here ... no wait, I just realized that maybe the IRS did have a right to protect those tax returns all along? Like, who needs their personal financial info being splashed all over the front page of The New York Times? But at the same time, I'm also kinda wondering if Trump's team is just trying to deflect from some shady dealings... and what's up with that $10 billion lawsuit demand, anyway? It's like they're expecting the government to just hand over a truckload of cash without even trying to explain why it's owed in the first place?