BusinessMay 13, 2026

Settlement Talks in the Trump–IRS Leak Case

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Key Vocabulary

lawsuit/ˈloː.suːt/

A legal case brought to court by one person or group against another.

"The lawsuit asks for $10 billion in damages."

audit/ˈɔː.dɪt/

A formal check of a person's or company’s financial records by the tax authority.

"People worry about an audit when tax records are reviewed."

contractor/kənˈtræk.tər/

A person or company hired to do work for a government or business.

"He worked as a contractor for the IRS."

Listening

Settlement Talks in the Trump–IRS Leak Case

President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury. The lawsuit asks for $10 billion in damages for the leak of his tax information.

Trump’s lawyers said they are in talks with the IRS and asked the court for a 90-day pause so they can try to settle. That pause would last 90 days. The case raises questions because Justice Department lawyers work for the president.

Many news organizations reported the talks. The contractor who leaked tax records was later convicted and jailed. Charles Littlejohn pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison. He worked as a contractor for the IRS.

108 words

Quiz

1. Who filed the lawsuit?

2. How much money did the lawsuit ask for?

3. How many days did they ask to pause the case?

Reading Practice

Read the article from the Listening section aloud. Your AI teacher will give you pronunciation feedback.

Discussion

Do you follow news about legal cases? Why or why not?

Have you ever worried about a mistake on your taxes? What did you do?

What do you think when you hear about a government worker leaking information?