The Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter who said he received President Trump Donald John TrumpBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Military leaders asked about using heat ray on protesters outside White House: report Powell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy MORE’s 2005 tax forms in the mail says his family was harassed by the president’s supporters after he broke the story.

After appearing on Rachel Maddow's and Lawrence O’Donnell’s shows on MSNBC Tuesday night, David Cay Johnston tweeted that his wife and children received threatening phone calls.

Trump fans call & harass my wife & 1 of my children after I break story White House confirmed. Sad! Let's have open debate, not threats. — David Cay Johnston (@DavidCayJ) March 15, 2017

Johnston, a DCReport.org journalist, said he received the two pages of returns through the mail from an unidentified source.

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Johnston, who also authored the recent book “The Making of Donald Trump," defended his decision to share Trump’s Form 1040 from 2005 on Maddow’s show, noting that he did not solicit them.

“There’s absolutely nothing improper about journalists, if you haven’t solicited something, getting it over the transom,” he said.

The White House blasted the release of the forms on Tuesday night, preempting the MSNBC coverage with a statement prior to Maddow’s broadcast. “You know you are desperate for ratings when you are willing to violate the law to push a story about two pages of tax returns from over a decade ago,” its statement said. "Despite this substantial income figures and tax paid, it is totally illegal to steal and publish tax returns.

“The dishonest media can continue to make this part of their agenda, while the President will focus on his, which includes tax reform that will benefit all Americans.”

The White House reported that Trump paid $38 million in taxes on $150 million in income in 2005, supporting the details in the two-page document released by Johnston on MSNBC.

President Trump in a tweet Wednesday morning questioned Johnston's version of how the forms were obtained.