"Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards… knowingly disclosed and described SARs, which she obtained by virtue of her position as a Senior Adviser at the United States Treasury Department," the document filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York said.
Edwards leaked to the media SARs pertaining to detained Russian national Mariia Butina and the company Prevezon Alexander. which the US authorities suspect of money laundering, according to the court document.
READ MORE: Russians in US Face Prejudice From Bosses, Friends After Butina Arrest — Reports
The article about Butina — "Russian ‘Agent’ and GOP Operator Left a Trail of Cash, Documents Reveal" — published on July 31 — "detailed a number of financial transactions derived from bank records allegedly involving a political consultant and Butina," the court document said.
Information published in the second article in August — "Why the FBI and Mueller Are Investigating 'Suspicious' Transactions Made by Russian Diplomats" — was also obtained from SARs, the court document added.
Butina, a recent student and a political activist, was arrested in Washington, DC in mid-July on suspicions of acting as an agent for a foreign government. She has denied the accusations. Butina currently faces up to 15 years in jail.
READ MORE: US Jail Transfers Russian National Butina to Minimum Security Regime
Russia has repeatedly denied interfering in the US election, saying the allegations were made up to excuse the election loss of a presidential candidate as well as deflect public opinion from actual instances of election fraud and corruption. Trump, in turn, has characterized the investigation as a witch hunt and has pointed out that no evidence of his collusion with Moscow has been provided in well over a year.
