A Treasury Department employee pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of conspiracy after allegedly leaking financial transaction reports on individuals who were under scrutiny in former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, CNN reports. Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards was accused of leaking a BuzzFeed News reporter Suspicious Activity Reports—documents filed by financial institutions to notify law enforcement about potentially illegal transactions. The reports allegedly involved Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort, his associate Rick Gates, convicted spy Maria Butina, the Russian Embassy, and others. Edwards, who appeared in Manhattan federal court Monday, initially pleaded not guilty when first charged with one count of unauthorized disclosure of Suspicious Activity Reports and one count of conspiracy to make such unauthorized disclosures in late 2018. Her trial was slated to begin in March.
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