WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department’s internal watchdog says it’s investigating how detailed allegations about the banking records of President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer became public.
At issue is an account of bank transactions involving Trump attorney Michael Cohen. The financial information was disclosed on Tuesday night by lawyer Michael Avenatti, who represents adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 in October 2016 to stay silent about her alleged tryst with Trump in 2006.
Word of the investigation comes from Rich Delmar, general counsel for the department’s inspector general.
Under federal law, financial institutions must monitor their customers’ activities and report suspicious transactions to the government. But that information is supposed to remain confidential.
Delmar says that “if there’s been unauthorized release” of such information, “that is of concern to us.”
