this post was submitted on 29 Jan 2024
773 points (98.5% liked)

News

30574 readers
3788 users here now

Welcome to the News community!

Rules:

1. Be civil


Attack the argument, not the person. No racism/sexism/bigotry. Good faith argumentation only. This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban. Do not respond to rule-breaking content; report it and move on.


2. All posts should contain a source (url) that is as reliable and unbiased as possible and must only contain one link.


Obvious right or left wing sources will be removed at the mods discretion. Supporting links can be added in comments or posted seperately but not to the post body.


3. No bots, spam or self-promotion.


Only approved bots, which follow the guidelines for bots set by the instance, are allowed.


4. Post titles should be the same as the article used as source.


Posts which titles don’t match the source won’t be removed, but the autoMod will notify you, and if your title misrepresents the original article, the post will be deleted. If the site changed their headline, the bot might still contact you, just ignore it, we won’t delete your post.


5. Only recent news is allowed.


Posts must be news from the most recent 30 days.


6. All posts must be news articles.


No opinion pieces, Listicles, editorials or celebrity gossip is allowed. All posts will be judged on a case-by-case basis.


7. No duplicate posts.


If a source you used was already posted by someone else, the autoMod will leave a message. Please remove your post if the autoMod is correct. If the post that matches your post is very old, we refer you to rule 5.


8. Misinformation is prohibited.


Misinformation / propaganda is strictly prohibited. Any comment or post containing or linking to misinformation will be removed. If you feel that your post has been removed in error, credible sources must be provided.


9. No link shorteners.


The auto mod will contact you if a link shortener is detected, please delete your post if they are right.


10. Don't copy entire article in your post body


For copyright reasons, you are not allowed to copy an entire article into your post body. This is an instance wide rule, that is strictly enforced in this community.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

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.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 323 points 1 year ago (2 children)

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

[–] LEDZeppelin@lemmy.world 146 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 80 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 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.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] Deello@lemm.ee 52 points 1 year 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.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] DharkStare@lemmy.world 195 points 1 year ago (5 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.

[–] SeaJ@lemm.ee 47 points 1 year ago

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

[–] ExLisper@linux.community 24 points 1 year ago

Documents that every other president released voluntarily...

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] BigMacHole@lemm.ee 147 points 1 year 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!

[–] gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world 51 points 1 year 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

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] mildlyusedbrain@lemmy.world 140 points 1 year 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."

[–] Zink@programming.dev 91 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Dark_Arc@social.packetloss.gg 68 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What an out of touch judge

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] agitatedpotato@lemmy.world 27 points 1 year ago

If he really thought it was like january 6th he would have gone leinent on him like all the other j6 defendents.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] callouscomic@lemm.ee 122 points 1 year ago (6 children)

Leak a billionaires tax records: 5 years.

Literally rape while a billionaire: 0 years.

[–] jeremyparker@programming.dev 40 points 1 year ago

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

Let's find out!

[–] runner_g@lemmy.blahaj.zone 31 points 1 year ago (3 children)

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

[–] jeremyparker@programming.dev 25 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Raping multiple children while supposedly being the spiritual leader of a community: sideways job transfer.

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (4 replies)
[–] doctorcrimson@lemmy.world 121 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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

[–] PrettyLights@lemmy.world 32 points 1 year 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?

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] paddirn@lemmy.world 115 points 1 year 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?

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] raynethackery@lemmy.world 101 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] njm1314@lemmy.world 81 points 1 year ago (16 children)

Anyone has ever deserved a pardon it's this guy

load more comments (16 replies)
[–] groupofcrows@lemmy.ca 80 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] AllonzeeLV@lemmy.world 41 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

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

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] CodeName@infosec.pub 79 points 1 year ago (28 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.

load more comments (28 replies)
[–] kandoh@reddthat.com 78 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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

[–] MataVatnik@lemmy.world 44 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year 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.

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] linearchaos@lemmy.world 76 points 1 year 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.

load more comments (53 replies)
[–] alienanimals@lemmy.world 73 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Charles Littlejohn is a hero.

[–] LarmyOfLone@lemm.ee 31 points 1 year ago

He's a political prisoner.

There is a vast accumulation of power and systemic corruption because of the vast concentration of wealth. That should be unconstitutional and should be opposed.

[–] aulin@lemmy.world 65 points 1 year ago (2 children)

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

[–] Michal@programming.dev 35 points 1 year 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?

load more comments (5 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 62 points 1 year ago (6 children)

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

load more comments (6 replies)
[–] originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com 57 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] rustydomino@lemmy.world 56 points 1 year 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.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Snapz@lemmy.world 50 points 1 year 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.

load more comments (10 replies)
[–] Fur_Fox_Sheikh@sh.itjust.works 50 points 1 year 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...

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 49 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Still more time than trump will ever serve.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] bustrpoindextr@lemmy.world 49 points 1 year ago (2 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?

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] iamjackflack@lemm.ee 40 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Biden needs to pardon this guy right after elections

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] Fades@lemmy.world 38 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Careful guys, he’s a hero

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Chainweasel@lemmy.world 30 points 1 year 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.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Concave1142@lemmy.world 30 points 1 year ago (3 children)

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

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] pinkdrunkenelephants@lemmy.cafe 27 points 1 year ago (7 children)

How was he not protected under whistleblower laws?

[–] aidan@lemmy.world 31 points 1 year ago (5 children)

You mean the ones that protected Snowden, Assange, and Manning?

load more comments (5 replies)
load more comments (6 replies)
[–] andrew_bidlaw@sh.itjust.works 24 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Is there a way to write him a letter? Idk how your prison system works, but this dude needs some encouragement for what he did.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›