WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Treasury Department, alleging negligence that he says allowed an IRS contractor to leak his tax returns, along with those of his sons and his businesses.
The lawsuit seeks at least $10 billion in damages and claims the disclosure violated federal privacy protections for taxpayer information. Trump alleges the agencies failed to safeguard confidential records, resulting in what the filing describes as an extreme breach of trust.
According to the complaint, an IRS contractor improperly accessed and disclosed the tax records without authorization. The lawsuit asserts that the agencies did not implement sufficient controls to prevent the release of sensitive personal and financial information.
Trump argues that the disclosure exposed him and his businesses to potential financial and reputational harm. The filing states that the public release of tax data could affect relationships with lenders, investors, and business partners.
The lawsuit also raises concerns about the oversight of contractors with access to taxpayer information. Trump’s legal team argues that stronger security measures and accountability mechanisms are necessary, particularly for records involving high-profile individuals.
The complaint also alleges that additional individuals or entities may have accessed the leaked information, raising broader concerns about the security of taxpayer data held by the federal government.
Officials from the IRS and the Treasury Department have not issued a public response to the lawsuit.