Oversight: Why Is a Sitting President Suing Agencies He Leads for $10 Billion?

I write to express deep concern about President Donald Trump’s unprecedented decision to file a civil lawsuit seeking at least $10 billion from the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Treasury Department—two agencies that operate within the executive branch he currently leads. The lawsuit, filed in late January 2026 in federal court in Florida, arises from the unauthorized disclosure of President Trump’s tax return information in 2020 by an IRS contractor, Charles Littlejohn. Mr. Littlejohn pleaded guilty to violating federal tax confidentiality laws and is now serving a five-year prison sentence. Individual accountability has already been imposed. What remains unexplained is why a sitting president is now pursuing extraordinary damages from his own government for events that occurred while he himself was president. The disclosures at issue took place during President Trump’s first term. Public reports from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration repeatedly warned—during those same years—of security deficiencies within IRS systems. Those warnings were delivered not only to Congress but also to the executive branch, including the White House. If institutional failures existed, they did so under President Trump’s own administration. Courts have already addressed nearly identical claims. In a closely comparable case, a billionaire taxpayer sued the IRS after the same contractor disclosed tax information. That case was largely dismissed, and the plaintiff received no monetary damages—only an apology—because he could not demonstrate concrete financial harm. President Trump’s own public financial disclosures indicate that his net worth has increased substantially since the 2020 reporting, raising serious questions about whether such harm can be shown here. There are also unresolved procedural issues. Legal analysts have noted that claims of this type are generally subject to strict statutes of limitation that begin when the plaintiff becomes aware of the alleged violation—not when the identity of the leaker is later confirmed. President Trump has acknowledged knowing of the disclosures in 2020. Beyond the legal weaknesses, the governance implications are profound. The president oversees the agencies he is suing. Any settlement or judgment would be paid from taxpayer funds administered by the same executive branch. This creates an extraordinary conflict of interest and risks normalizing the use of civil litigation as a tool for personal enrichment or political retaliation. Compounding these concerns, the president has repeatedly declined to explain the lawsuit when asked by reporters, instead attacking the press. He has also pursued or threatened multiple large lawsuits against news organizations and public figures, reinforcing concerns about a broader chilling effect on accountability, journalism, and lawful scrutiny. Congress has a constitutional responsibility to provide oversight when executive power is exercised in ways that threaten ethical norms, fiscal responsibility, and public trust. I urge you to seek answers, demand transparency, and ensure that no president can use the machinery of government to extract personal financial gain from the public treasury.