Republican senators announced legislation to double the potential prison sentence for anyone caught leaking sensitive taxpayer information, saying the current law is woefully weak.

The bill comes in the wake of a guilty plea by Charles Littlejohn, a former IRS contractor who admitted to using his insider access to obtain and release highly sensitive data on more than a thousand taxpayers, including former President Donald Trump.

Rep. Steve Daines, Montana Republican, said his bill would double the maximum penalty from five years to 10 years and would up the potential fine from $5,000 to $10,000.

“A mere slap on the wrist for illegally releasing Americans’ private tax information only perpetuates Biden’s two systems of justice and does nothing to crack down on future leaks,” Mr. Daines said.

Littlejohn pilfered a massive amount of taxpayer information and leaked it to two outlets.

The court case doesn’t say who, but the timing and descriptions match when Mr. Trump’s tax returns were leaked to The New York Times and when tax information from some of the country’s wealthiest people was leaked to ProPublica. Members of Congress have also said Littlejohn was responsible for the Trump tax leak.

Republicans have complained that the Biden administration didn’t take the leaks very seriously, based on the plea agreement worked out with Littlejohn.

“Unfortunately, the Department of Justice elected to charge only one count despite the more than a thousand disclosures he admitted to in open court,” said Rep. Jason Smith, Missouri Republican and chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. “To restore trust in the justice system and the IRS — and to deter future thefts — there need to be significant consequences for this type of illegal, politically motivated activity.”

Ms. Daines’ new bill would not apply retroactively to Littlejohn or to any disclosures anyone else made before the bill is enacted.

Littlejohn is scheduled to be sentenced in January.

In accepting Littlejohn’s guilty plea last month, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes chided him for thinking the goal was worth it.

“When we have people, for whatever reason, take the law into their own hands, society doesn’t function,” she said. “Make no mistake, this was not acceptable. If anyone tells you the ends justify the means, they’re wrong.”

• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.