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Charles Littlejohn confessed to disseminating private tax details, including those of a former US president, to media organizations between 2018 and 2020.

38-year-old Littlejohn, who previously worked for the IRS, was indicted by the Justice Department on charges of sharing tax return details of “thousands of the nation’s wealthiest individuals” and divulging tax data linked to “a high-ranking government official.” On Thursday, he admitted guilt to one count of unauthorized disclosure of tax return and return information.

Attorney General Merrick Garland remarked, “By using his role as a government contractor to gain access to private tax information, steal that information, and disclose it publicly, Charles Littlejohn broke federal law and betrayed the public’s trust.”

The Justice Department highlighted that one news entity received details about a prominent official from Littlejohn between August and October 2019, leading to a series of articles in September 2020. Additionally, another media outlet was provided with tax data of affluent individuals in mid-2020, subsequently publishing related articles.

Although the Justice Department did not specifically identify the involved parties, The Associated Press indicated that the information and timing align with articles from The New York Times and ProPublica about former President Trump’s tax returns. Littlejohn is scheduled for sentencing on January 29, 2024, and could face up to five years behind bars.