'Deep State' Leaker Charged

An IRS analyst has been charged with leaking Michael Cohen's banking information to attorney Michael Avenatti.

According to CNN, John C. Fry — an investigative analyst within the law enforcement unit at the IRS — passed along suspicious activity reports regarding Cohen's banking habits. Cohen, who previously worked as President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, has since pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud.

Fry is charged with leaking the confidential documents to Avenatti, who has chased Trump and Cohen over hush payments made to his client and porn star Stormy Daniels. Prosecutors said Fry also confirmed the existence of the activity reports to a New Yorker reporter, likely Ronan Farrow.

Fry was released on $50,000 bail Thursday.

Prosecutors said Fry, who works in the San Francisco IRS office, downloaded five suspicious activity reports in May 2018 that flagged unusual activity on an account belonging to Cohen. He is reported to have called a number associated with Avenatti minutes after he accessed the documents. He is alleged to have called Avenatti and Farrow days later as well.

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