Thread by @Perrspectives

This is 26 U.S. Code § 6103, the section of the U.S. criminal code involving unauthorized access to and disclosure of Americans’ IRS tax return records. The federal employee unions suing Elon Musk are citing it as one of the laws #DOGE has violated. 1/8

law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26…

In September 2020, the New York Times published leaked information from President Trump’s tax returns. In response, GOP Reps. Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Mike Kelly (R-PA) asked AG Barr to launch a probe into violations of 26 U.S. Code § 6103. 2/8

kelly.house.gov/media/press-re…

In 2021, Pro Publica published a series of articles based on leaked IRS records for thousands of the richest Americans, including #Musk, Jeff Bezos and Rick Scott. 3/8

propublica.org/series/the-sec…

The Biden DOJ charged IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn with violation of 26 U.S. Code § 6103. As Brady and Kelly asked in 2020, the DOJ asked for and received the maximum sentence in January 2024 after Littlejohn pled guilty. 4/8

justice.gov/opa/pr/former-…

Nevertheless, Sen. Scott accused AG Garland of politicizing DOJ. House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) launched an investigation and denounced “Sweetheart Deal for Trump Tax Return Leaker.” 5/8

judiciary.house.gov/media/press-re…

Last May, House Ways & Means Chair Jason Smith (R-MO) introduced legislation doubling the maximum sentence to 10 years for each record disclosed. 6/8

washingtontimes.com/news/2024/may/…

But now that Trump and Musk have captured vital information systems across the federal government, GOPers no longer worry that “no American should fear that their sensitive tax information might be unlawfully disclosed to another party or made public without their consent.” 7/8

Here’s a detailed account of how Republicans have conveniently forgotten their past demands for harsher penalties for unauthorized access and disclosure of Americans’ most sensitive data. 8/8

perrspectives.com/gop-demanded-h…