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Democrat IRS analyst indicted in leak of Michael Cohen's banking records
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Rob Woodward
Feb 28, 2019, 10:32:24 PM2/28/19
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A veteran IRS employee was formally indicted Thursday on charges that
he leaked banking records of Michael Cohen, President Trump's former
personal attorney, to Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film
star Stormy Daniels, in May of last year.
John C. Fry, 54, faces one count of unauthorized disclosure of
so-called suspicious activity reports (SARs), one count of misuse of a
computer and one count of illegal use of a Social Security number. He
was arraigned last week in federal court in San Francisco and released
on $50,000 bond.
Prosecutors say Fry, an investigative analyst for the IRS' law
enforcement arm who has worked for the agency since 2008, repeatedly
searched law enforcement databases for information about Cohen and
eventually gained access to five SARs, which banks must file when
transactions are spotted that raise questions about possible financial
misconduct.
ALEC BALDWIN, FELLOW STARS REACT TO MICHAEL COHEN HEARING: HE DESERVES
A 'MEDAL OF HONOR'
One of the SARs, which investigators say Fry admitted leaking to
Avenatti, showed Cohen's Essential Consultants LLC had received a
total of $500,000 from Columbus Nova, a company associated with Viktor
Vekselberg, a Russian oligarch who donated money to Trump's
inauguration fund. Other payments to Essential Consultants came from
AT&T ($200,000) and pharmaceutical company Novartis (approximately
$399,920).
The report was filed by First Republic Bank, where Essential
Consultants maintained an account. Avenatti made the information in
the report public on May 8, and details from it appeared in The
Washington Post and the New Yorker magazine.
COHEN LOBS BOMBS AT TRUMP DURING FIERY HEARING, STOPS SHORT OF
COLLUSION CLAIM
Investigators say Fry exchanged messages on WhatsApp with reporter
Ronan Farrow, who wrote about the motives behind the leak in an
article published May 16. Farrow's article said the law enforcement
official who released the report had grown concerned after he was
unable to find two other reports on Cohen's financial activity and
worried the missing data might indicate an effort to cover up
payments.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
In an affidavit filed last week, Treasury Department Special Agent
Linda Cieslak said that access to the two reports that concerned Fry
was restricted because they were connected to a "sensitive open
investigation." Fry allegedly also told investigators Farrow contacted
him to verify information given to him by Avenatti.
Fry faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of $750,000 if convicted
on all counts. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 13.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/irs-analyst-indicted-in-leak-of-michael-cohens-banking-records
--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ne...@netfront.net ---
he leaked banking records of Michael Cohen, President Trump's former
personal attorney, to Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film
star Stormy Daniels, in May of last year.
John C. Fry, 54, faces one count of unauthorized disclosure of
so-called suspicious activity reports (SARs), one count of misuse of a
computer and one count of illegal use of a Social Security number. He
was arraigned last week in federal court in San Francisco and released
on $50,000 bond.
Prosecutors say Fry, an investigative analyst for the IRS' law
enforcement arm who has worked for the agency since 2008, repeatedly
searched law enforcement databases for information about Cohen and
eventually gained access to five SARs, which banks must file when
transactions are spotted that raise questions about possible financial
misconduct.
ALEC BALDWIN, FELLOW STARS REACT TO MICHAEL COHEN HEARING: HE DESERVES
A 'MEDAL OF HONOR'
One of the SARs, which investigators say Fry admitted leaking to
Avenatti, showed Cohen's Essential Consultants LLC had received a
total of $500,000 from Columbus Nova, a company associated with Viktor
Vekselberg, a Russian oligarch who donated money to Trump's
inauguration fund. Other payments to Essential Consultants came from
AT&T ($200,000) and pharmaceutical company Novartis (approximately
$399,920).
The report was filed by First Republic Bank, where Essential
Consultants maintained an account. Avenatti made the information in
the report public on May 8, and details from it appeared in The
Washington Post and the New Yorker magazine.
COHEN LOBS BOMBS AT TRUMP DURING FIERY HEARING, STOPS SHORT OF
COLLUSION CLAIM
Investigators say Fry exchanged messages on WhatsApp with reporter
Ronan Farrow, who wrote about the motives behind the leak in an
article published May 16. Farrow's article said the law enforcement
official who released the report had grown concerned after he was
unable to find two other reports on Cohen's financial activity and
worried the missing data might indicate an effort to cover up
payments.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
In an affidavit filed last week, Treasury Department Special Agent
Linda Cieslak said that access to the two reports that concerned Fry
was restricted because they were connected to a "sensitive open
investigation." Fry allegedly also told investigators Farrow contacted
him to verify information given to him by Avenatti.
Fry faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of $750,000 if convicted
on all counts. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 13.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/irs-analyst-indicted-in-leak-of-michael-cohens-banking-records
--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ne...@netfront.net ---
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