More Marshall - TPM "Is this how Avenatti Found Out?"

[NRaleighLiberal]

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/is-this-how-avenatti-found-out

TPM Reader TH thinks he knows where Michael Avenatti got his amazingly specific details. And it sounds right to me …

I want to shed some light on tonight’s post re: Cohen/Avenatti, specifically this line:

“They’ve also confirmed the dollar amounts. So while we still don’t know where or how Avenatti got this information he must have had access to one of Cohen’s ledgers, a bank statement or perhaps an investigative document. The details are simply too specific.”

I work as an Anti-Money Laundering and Bank Secrecy Act Specialist at a financial institution. Every bank/credit union/etc will have someone who’s responsibility it is to examine transactions and file Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) with FinCEN, a department of the Treasury. This is what I do.


Upon reading Avenatti’s document, it’s obvious that he has his hands on (multiple, I think) SARs that have been filed on Cohen. They are structured almost exactly as we write them. The KYC information at the beginning is a huge tipoff. This is something every bank is required to compile when a business account is opened, and it’s what AML staff would refer back to it when examining transactions to see if the account is “behaving” differently than expected. This KYC information would never be included in a bank statement or a ledger. It would only come from a financial institution, and is what is included in SARs narratives to justify their filing. Furthermore, there’s info in the document from multiple banks. Unless Avenatti has people at multiple different banks leaking him info on Cohen (he doesn’t) it comes from a SARs.

We know from the WSJ that at least one bank has filed a SARs on Cohen:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-lawyers-payment-to-porn-star-was-reported-as-suspicious-by-bank-1520273701

I’m pretty gobsmacked that someone would leak SARs to Michael Avenatti, but we live in crazy times. I’ve been trying to think who all would have access, and it’s basically: FinCEN staff, law enforcement who request them, regulators, the bank staff who filed them originally, and possibly independent auditors who come in to make sure banks are filing BSA paperwork properly. My guess would be it’s someone at FinCEN doing it, but I wouldn’t bet a massive amount of money on it.

I would, however, bet massive amounts of money that Avenatti somehow has his hands on SARs filed on Cohen.

I have no idea who leaked this or whether it was a leak per se. But this is extraordinarily detailed information. It all seems accurate. I think TH is likely on the right track here

[uponit7771]

1. K&R

[JoeOtterbein]

2. K &/or R!

[GusBob]

3. So this scandals deep throat is an accountant basically

Damn I hope he would have somehow got busted on emails, that would have been rich

[kimbutgar]

4. I hope these are not "doctored fakes"

It would discredit Avenatti then.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. AT&T and Novartis have already come forward to confirm.

although Novartis blamed it on an agreement with their previous CEO and claim it had nothing to do with their current one.

[kimbutgar]

7. Oh hell yes!

[BumRushDaShow]

8. There is a new thread on it here

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210592964

[BumRushDaShow]

5. There was someone on with Rachel earlier that said the exact same thing

that when there are wire transfers, they are usually just numbered with no details like who did them.

[Leghorn21]

9. Avenatti was talking about a SAR on last Friday (May 4):

See below -the letter that we sent a month ago demanding the release of the SAR @SenBlumenthal @RepCharlieDent. The letter describes in great detail why the SAR can and should be released. The American people have a right to this document and it needs to be disclosed immediately.

Link to tweet

?s=20

[B2G]

22. The problem is that a SAR is just that.

A report of suspicious activity. SARS are filed routinely by banks, and they don't all result in filing of criminal charges. All they do is trigger an investigation. SARs have greatly increased in numbers the past decade because it's a bank's way of covering their ass. Failure to file one can result in huge fines and loss of reputation if criminal activity is discovered and no SAR is on record.

So in itself, a SAR doesn't mean much. It's the start of an investigation. Which is why they are held in strict confidence and not publicly released.

[Leghorn21]

23. Thank you, B2G - I was wondering if SARs wouldn't be a highly confidential document, and you

are here to say YES THEY SURE ARE

Which of course then leads me to think hey, seems a bit strange that Avenatti would call for a public release of one or more of them - hmmmm

Again, thank you!

[B2G]

24. Yeah, I don't get that.

They're never released.

[kentuck]

10. Interesting story.

I think Avenatti is helping Mueller a lot in his investigation.

Perhaps tomorrow morning KellyAnne will tweet again, "Gotcha!"

[cynatnite]

11. Maybe a pissed off secretary got her hands on them. n/t

[AnotherMother4Peace]

13. Maybe a pissed off secretary with an inconspicuous cell phone nearby, snapped a few pics? nt

[world wide wally]

12. I am wondering how Stormy Daniels stumbled across Avanetti.

I hope she bought a lottery ticket that day!

[ThoughtCriminal]

14. The trick is finding a Cohen transaction

that would not trigger a Suspicious Activity Report.

[mopinko]

15. he stated he knows there are sar's.

he called on treasury to release them.

[octoberlib]

16. Avenatti just said that the Public Attorney's office of the Southern District of New York

had these documents before him and were working on the case. I wonder if the leak came from there.

[Johnny2X2X]

17. Insane corruption

We have never seen this level of corruption at the White House before. Pay for play. The fact these companies got meetings with Trump is damning.

This is stunning, not just in level of corruption, but in their openness about it. No effort to hide it.

I can guarantee there are hundreds of shell companies taking in millions for Trump and his associates as they sell off th country.

[Marie Marie]

18. And, with all this insane corruption...

If Trump does not end up behind bars then - well, I just don't know what to say.

[NoMoreRepugs]

19. Even with damning physical proof does anyone really

think the 10's of millions comprising the "base" will stop supporting Trump? My guess is their support will only increase. I've lived for a while amongst the Goobers n Gomers in Missouri......
There's just not a lot of neurons firing there.

[Pluvious]

21. There's one thing they love, worth any sacrifice to see happen...

To see us Liburals get upset.

Nothing else matters.

[GusBob]

20. Taking bets. Mark my words

Bet you Trump starts ranting about the Treasury Dept and fires it's director soon

[roamer65]

25. I am betting Munchkin is hearing a lot of bitching from Spanky.

[GusBob]

26. Top thread in LBN right now. Treasury Dept investigating leaks of info

Too easy to predict

[politicaljunkie41910]

27. I was thinking the same thing while wishing the OP would not have revealed so much info.

I particularly don't care where he got the information, as long as it's accurate and it takes Trump and Cohen down. But you're right, now Trump will sic Sessions on every employee who works in the bank Cohen uses to find the informant and to lock him/her up and they'll probably also lose their job.

[FakeNoose]

28. Could this info be available under FOIA?

Maybe Avenatti's guys just knew where to look. Or maybe somebody hacked the bank's emails and got lucky.
It does seem weird that he would have those specific documents that incriminate Cohen.

[Cognitive_Resonance]

29. Sounds like he has an investigative resource with access to wire transfer information

He only released transactions associated with the bank account belonging to the shell company that paid Ms. Clifford (aka Stormy). I'm thinking he has a connection to a entity (perhaps overseas?) authorized to trace transactions based on routing and account information.