Anshuman Vaidya Featured in Bloomberg Law Discussing IRS Tax Records Leaker Charles Littlejohn’s Sentencing Appeal

Hinshaw partner Anshuman Vaidya was extensively quoted in Bloomberg Law’s Daily Tax Report in advance of oral argument before the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in the appeal by former IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn. Littlejohn is seeking to reduce his sentence after pleading guilty to one count of unauthorized disclosure of tax return information, following leaks affecting approximately 7,600 individuals and 600 entities, including President Donald Trump.

A former area counsel in the Office of IRS Chief Counsel, Anshuman underscored the central role of Internal Revenue Code Section 6103 in maintaining public trust in the tax system. He explained that “the government’s interest in maximum penalties for Littlejohn is a result of how seriously the IRS takes compliance with Section 6103 because that provision helps provide faith in the tax system.”

Anshuman further noted that the “unprecedented scale of the disclosures [with tax records for as many as 100,000 people potentially compromised] will weigh on the appeal, which otherwise will focus on whether or not the lower court followed the right sentencing procedures.” He explained:

“Tax secrecy is a fundamental part of the system, because everyone filing their taxes is disclosing highly personal information to the government, and the government, in response, takes charge and makes sure they are a good steward of that information.

 

This is an outlier case, but the volume of returns involved suggests why the court did what it did, in sending a strong deterrent message that others need not fear their tax returns will be leaked in this manner.”

• Bloomberg Tax: “Tax Leaker Littlejohn’s Appeal Centers on IRS Safeguards, Trust” (November 3, 2025)