Key facts
- IRS investigator Brian J. Visalli alleges the agency leaked his personal and tax records to federal prosecutors.
- Visalli claims the leak was retaliation for his whistleblowing activities and criticism of the IRS.
- The lawsuit accuses supervisors of using minor tax return mistakes as a pretext for punitive action.
- Visalli learned Justice Department officials were labeling him as "impaired" after he filed a whistleblower retaliation complaint.
- He is seeking damages for withheld performance rewards and medical costs.
Brian J. Visalli, a veteran IRS investigator specializing in offshore tax shelter investigations, has filed a lawsuit against the agency, alleging that his personal and tax information was unlawfully leaked to federal prosecutors. Visalli claims this action was in retaliation for his whistleblowing activities and his public criticism of the IRS for not aggressively pursuing multinational tax avoidance.
According to the lawsuit filed in the Northern District of Illinois, Visalli alleges that supervisors used minor tax return mistakes against him to discredit him. He claims that after he filed a whistleblower retaliation complaint, the IRS escalated a minor, unintentional tax oversight as a pretext for punitive action. Following his complaint, Visalli learned that Justice Department officials were labeling him as "impaired," a designation that could threaten the credibility of law enforcement witnesses.