Charles Littlejohn Appeals Five-Year Sentence for Massive IRS Data Leak

The appeal tests not just one contractor’s punishment but the federal government’s resolve to rebuild trust in the tax system's confidentiality.

Charles Littlejohn, the former IRS contractor who leaked the confidential tax data of thousands of wealthy individuals and major corporations, is asking the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to cut his five-year prison sentence.

The appeal, set for oral argument Tuesday, will test whether the district court erred in imposing the statutory maximum despite Li…