Treasury Department employee charged in leaks

A Treasury Department employee appeared in court Wednesday after being charged with leaking confidential banking reports related to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards, a senior adviser for the department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), left federal court in Virginia after posting a $100,000 bond. Prosecutors said she leaked photos to a reporter of confidential documents that included information on former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, political consultant Richard Gates, and Maria Butina, who has been accused of being a covert Russian agent. Edwards is also accused of sending the reporter Treasury Department emails, investigative memos, and intelligence assessments. When confronted by federal agents, she described herself as a whistleblower. Edwards “betrayed her position of trust by repeatedly disclosing highly sensitive information,” said Geoffrey Berman, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan.

The reporter was not named, but court documents listed about a dozen BuzzFeed News articles from the past year and a half. Edwards is currently on administrative leave, according to FinCEN spokesman Steve Hudak. A second FinCEN employee was listed as a co-conspirator but has not been charged or named in legal documents.