Russia probe: Senate requests Trump documents from agency that monitors
money laundering
The Senate panel has requested information about President Donald Trump
and his top aides from a financial intelligence unit in the Treasury
Department that imposed a $10 million civil penalty on Trump Taj Mahal
in 2015 for multiple violations of money-laundering laws.
The Senate Intelligence Committee wants to see any information relevant
to its Russia investigation the Treasury agency has gathered, including
evidence that might include possible money laundering, according to a
committee aide who spoke on condition of anonymity. Also at issue: to
what extent, if at all, people close to Vladimir Putin have invested in
Trump's real estate empire.
The request, made in recent weeks, comes as part of the Senate's
investigation into whether Trump associates colluded with Russian
meddling in the U.S. election. The FBI is also investigating that issue,
but that probe is now under a cloud after Trump fired FBI Director James
Comey.
White House spokesman Michael Short said the president is confident the
investigation will exonerate his campaign.
The Senate committee's request covers any potentially relevant
information about Trump, his family, his businesses and his associates,
the aide said. Such a request presumably would cover copies of the Taj
Mahal audits.
In a consent order, Trump Taj Mahal admitted to having "willfully
violated" reporting and record-keeping requirements under the federal
Bank Secrecy Act from 2010 to 2012.
FinCEN's complaint said violations had been revealed by the Internal
Revenue Service as far back as 2003. In 1998, FinCEN assessed a $477,700
civil penalty against Trump Taj Mahal for currency transaction reporting
violations.
http://tinyurl.com/lena65g