Treasury Dept Official Leaked Trump Associates’ Financial Records To BuzzFeed

[mountaineer]

Treasury Dept Official Leaked Trump Associates’ Financial Records To BuzzFeed
Chuck Ross
Oct. 17, 2018
Daily Caller

A U.S. Treasury Department official was arrested Wednesday and charged with providing a reporter with sensitive reports related to suspicious banking transactions of several Trump associates.

Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards, a senior official at Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), was arrested for leaking documents known as Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) that were cited in a series of news articles published by BuzzFeed News.

She is charged with one count of unauthorized disclosures of suspicious activity reports and one count of conspiracy to make unauthorized disclosures of suspicious activity reports. The case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan.

According to a government complaint, Edwards leaked documents of banking records for former Trump associates Paul Manafort and Rick Gates. She also leaked financial reports of Maria Butina, a Russian national indicted on charges of acting as an undercover Russian agent.  ...Full story

[mountaineer]

Treasury employee charged with leaking financial info on Trump campaign officials, Russians
Adam Shaw
By Adam Shaw | Fox News

A Treasury employee has been arrested and charged with leaking multiple reports about financial transactions relating to former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort, campaign official Richard Gates, accused Russian agent Maria Butina and the Russian Embassy, federal law enforcement officials said Wednesday.

Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards is accused of illegally photographing Suspicious Activity Reports (SARS) -- which are sent by banks and other financial institutions to alert law enforcement to potential illegal activity -- and leaking them to the press. Edwards worked as a senior adviser at the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), according to a press release by the Southern District of New York.

“In her position, Edwards was entrusted with sensitive government information.  As we allege here today, Edwards violated that trust when she made several unauthorized disclosures to the media,” FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said in a statement. “Today's action demonstrates that those who fail to protect the integrity of government information will be rightfully held accountable for their behavior.”

Edwards is accused of disclosing numerous SARs to a reporter, which formed the substance of 12 articles by that reporter’s news outlet. According to the Southern District, she was in possession of a flash drive on which she appeared to have saved the SARS, as well as a cellphone which she allegedly used to transmit the information to the reporter.  ...  Rest of story at FOX

[mountaineer]

In an interview with FBI agents, Edwards reportedly defined her motives as “record keeping,” and claimed that she is a “whistleblower.”

More at "Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know"

[skeeter]

Its always wise to watch out for people with three names. But this one is really dangerous.

[SZonian]

The Justice Department has arrested a senior Treasury department official accused of leaking highly sensitive financial reports to a journalist looking into former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s overseas dealings as well as transactions involving the Russian embassy.

Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards, a senior adviser at the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), was charged with disclosing suspicious activity reports, known as SARs, to an unidentified reporter beginning in October 2017, authorities said.

The substance of those reports — which focused on Manafort, his former business partner Rick Gates, the Russian Embassy, alleged Russian spy Maria Butina and the Prevezon Alexander real estate company — were later detailed in roughly 12 articles that were all published by BuzzFeed, according to court documents.

[excerpted]
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/senior-treasury-employee-was-charged-sending-sensitive-financial-reports-journalist-n921171

Looks like a "swamp creature" has surfaced...plenty more where it came from.  Long past time to clean this $hit up.

[mountaineer]

Link to WashPost article, "Senior Treasury employee charged with leaking documents related to Russia probe"

[mystery-ak]

Treasury employee accused in leak linked to Mueller’s probe
By MICHAEL BALSAMOan hour ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Treasury Department employee was accused Wednesday of leaking confidential banking reports of suspects charged in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, and an unidentified high-ranking colleague was cited in court papers as a co-conspirator, but was not charged.

Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards, a senior official at the department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, also known as FinCEN, is accused of leaking several confidential suspicious activity reports to a journalist, whose name was not disclosed in court papers. But they list about a dozen stories published by Buzzfeed News over the past year-and-a half. A spokesman for the news organization declined to comment.

According to the government, the material included reports on former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, political consultant Richard Gates and Maria Butina, who is accused of trying to infiltrate U.S. political organizations as a covert Russian agent.

Edwards is currently on administrative leave, FinCen spokesman Steve Hudak said.

Banks must file the suspicious activity reports with the Treasury Department when they spot transactions that raise questions about possible financial misconduct such as money laundering.

more
https://www.apnews.com/2a2187bdf1d14dd69a5d49903160f6a7

[SZonian]

@MOD3
Missed that this is already posted in "Scandal Watch".

Please delete or merge with that thread.

Thanks,
SZ

[Frank Cannon]

Wonder if this uptight self important bitch is as gung ho about being in the Resist movement now that she is looking at jail time?

[skeeter]

More at "Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know"

This "May Edwards" seems totally incongruous with the subject of this article. Heavy.com might have stepped in it on this one.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Treasury employee charged with leaking financial info on Trump team was arrested with flash drive in hand, prosecutors say
Fox News, Oct 17, 2018, Gregg Re

The top Treasury Department employee who was charged Wednesday with leaking confidential financial documents pertaining to former Trump officials was apprehended the previous evening with a flash drive containing the allegedly pilfered information in her hand, prosecutors said in court papers.

The dramatic arrest late Tuesday came on the heels of other high-profile, leak-related prosecutions under the Trump administration, which has pledged to go on the offensive against leakers that the president has called "traitors and cowards."

Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards, 40, a senior official at the department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), is accused of illegally giving a reporter bank reports documenting several suspicious financial transactions, known as Suspicious Activity Reports (“SARs”), from October 2017 to the present. The financial transactions involved Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort, campaign official Richard Gates, accused Russian agent Maria Butina and the Russian Embassy, federal law enforcement officials said Wednesday.


More:  https://www.foxnews.com/politics/treasury-employee-charged-with-leaking-financial-info-of-trump-team

[edpc]

I wonder if she’s also the source for the Cohen material released earlier this year.


https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonaleopold/cohen-sars

[Right_in_Virginia]

You might remember back in May 2018 when sketchy porn lawyer Michael Avenetti was releasing U.S. Treasury notifications on Michael Cohen received from an unknown source within the Treasury Department [See Here].  You might also remember when New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow wrote a sympathetic article after talking to the leaking treasury official [See Here].  As a result the Treasury Inspector General began an investigation.

Today, a U.S. Treasury employee named Natalie Mayflower Sours-Edwards was arrested and charged with leaking to numerous reporters multiple financial reports about suspicious financial transactions related to: Paul Manafort, Richard Gates, Maria Butina, and others.   [DOJ Notification HERE]

[...]

Every organization from mortgage providers, to international financial institutions, to local U.S. main street banks, all the way to Western Union and convenience stores who generate money orders, are required to file CTR’s and SAR’s as part of the Treasury Department Banking Secrecy Act; a law requiring anyone engaged in financial services to assist government agencies in detecting and preventing money laundering.

At some point every person reading here has likely had a report filled out by a financial provider, submitting their details within a financial transaction, filed with the Treasury department. You never know about it, because it’s part of compliance reporting.

According to the DOJ release Ms. Mayflower Sours-Edwards “was in possession of a flash drive appearing to be the flash drive on which she saved the unlawfully disclosed Suspicious Activity Reports, and a cellphone containing numerous communications over an encrypted application in which she transmitted SARs and other sensitive government information to” journalists.

[...]

UPDATE: Located within the indictment documents – there is also a Co-Conspirator.  It appears Ms. Sours-Edwards’ boss was also in on the plot to leak the information. [See Page #13 of the indictment]   [...]

Ms. Sours-Edwards boss, one of the Associate Directors, was also in contact with journalists and leaking financial information….  Sheesh.


More:  https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2018/10/17/deep-state-treasury-leaker-arrested-senior-u-s-treasury-official-arrested-for-leaking-financial-forms-to-media/

[mountaineer]

Apparently, Edwards was in cahoots with one Jason Leopold, senior investigative reporter for BuzzFeed, thus the conspiracy.

Matt Graver   @MattGraver2
3h3 hours ago

Now that your source was arrested you seem jumpy. Why are you blocking every one reporting on this?

https://mobile.twitter.com/PrissysTruth/status/1052618155787476992 …
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jason Leopold   Verified account @JasonLeopold

I can confirm now that last yr Treasury"s financial crimes unit collected voluminous suspicious activity reports from banks on Maria Butina, Alexander Torshin, Paul Erickson, Bridges LLC & Investing With Dignity

The SARs were shared w/FBI, Mueller, SSCI
22 July 2018
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Peace Thru Strength    @Techquant
22m22 minutes ago
Replying to @MattGraver2 @drawandstrike

Here’s a good one👇    “.@JasonLeopold has absolutely owned the Russia/financial beat from the get-go” #MoneyTrail
Now we know why

[mountaineer]

REX   @_ImperatorRex_   
REX Retweeted TheRand2025

Well looky here, a Leopold article the day before Manafort's indictment, showing that Leopold *somehow* not only knew it was about to hit, but also knew all the details & info that could only come from SARs.
Is Mueller caught up in this as well?

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonleopold/fbi-probe-of-paul-manafort-focuses-on-13-suspicious-wire …

[Frank Cannon]

This "May Edwards" seems totally incongruous with the subject of this article. Heavy.com might have stepped in it on this one.

I saw that too. They have been known to blow stuff in the initial stages. The Trump joke they cited is pretty good though....

    “A plane carrying Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, and General James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis is about to crash, but there are only three parachutes.

    The first passenger yells, ‘I’m Bernie Sanders, everyone gets a free parachute,’ and jumps.

    The second passenger, Hillary Clinton, runs by screaming, ‘I’m the second smartest woman in the world and the next President of the United States of America.’ She grabs the second parachute and jumps.

    The third passenger, Donald Trump, looks at General Mattis and says, ‘Sir, you’re a war hero. Take the last parachute.’ Mad Dog smiles and replies, ‘It’s ok Don, there’s parachutes left for both of us. The world’s smartest woman just took my backpack.'”

Here's the new mugshot....

[skeeter]

I saw that too. They have been known to blow stuff in the initial stages. The Trump joke they cited is pretty good though....

    “A plane carrying Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, and General James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis is about to crash, but there are only three parachutes.

    The first passenger yells, ‘I’m Bernie Sanders, everyone gets a free parachute,’ and jumps.

    The second passenger, Hillary Clinton, runs by screaming, ‘I’m the second smartest woman in the world and the next President of the United States of America.’ She grabs the second parachute and jumps.

    The third passenger, Donald Trump, looks at General Mattis and says, ‘Sir, you’re a war hero. Take the last parachute.’ Mad Dog smiles and replies, ‘It’s ok Don, there’s parachutes left for both of us. The world’s smartest woman just took my backpack.'”

Here's the new mugshot....

 

[mountaineer]

Breaking: Yesterday’s Indicted Leakers Are Linked to Mueller Team Member ANDREW WEISSMAN and DOJ Fusion GPS Collaborator BRUCE OHR
by Jim Hoft October 18, 2018

The indictment of US Treasury officials yesterday is more important than first thought.  The individuals indicted have close ties to demoted DOJ lawyer Bruce Ohr and Mueller team corrupt attorney Andrew Weissman!

On Tuesday, 40-year-old Natalie May Edwards, the senior advisor in the Treasury Department’s  Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, was arrested and criminally charged for leaking confidential financial documents relating to former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, the Russian embassy and accused Russian spy Maria Butina.

Ms. Edwards, who leaked the documents related to the Manafort case, was interviewed by Ronan Farrow six months ago. It now looks like that was an attempt by her to set herself up as a whistle blower rather than the leaker she is  ...

Ms. Edwards leaked the FinCEN documents to Jason Leopold, a reporter for BuzzFeed according to Wednesday’s announcement by Manhattan federal prosecutors.  Hidden in the DOJ complaint is the fact that Edwards’s BOSS at FinCEN is a criminal co-conspirator and he holds the title of Associate Director. ...   MORE at Gateway Pundit

[mountaineer]

FBI and DOJ Didn’t Catch Yesterday’s Indicted Leakers (Treasury IG Did) but They Did Cover Up One of Their Names
 by Jim Hoft October 18, 2018

The indictment of US Treasury officials yesterday is more important than first thought. As we reported the individuals indicted have close ties to demoted DOJ lawyer Bruce Ohr and Mueller team corrupt attorney Andrew Weissman!  Is this why the FBI and DOJ covered up one of their names?

On Tuesday, 40-year-old Natalie May Edwards, the senior advisor in the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, was arrested and criminally charged for leaking confidential financial documents relating to former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, the Russian embassy and accused Russian spy Maria Butina.

Ms. Edwards leaked the FinCEN documents to Jason Leopold, a reporter for BuzzFeed according to Wednesday’s announcement by Manhattan federal prosecutors. Hidden in the DOJ complaint is the fact that Edwards’s BOSS at FinCEN is a criminal co-conspirator and he holds the title of Associate Director.  ...  Rest of article

[mountaineer]

It's catching.
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Former FBI Agent Sentenced to Four Years in Prison For Leaking Documents to Media

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/10/former-fbi-agent-sentenced-to-four-years-in-prison-for-leaking-documents-to-media/