By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
After clashing with the special counsel investigating Russia’s meddling in the presidential election, the IRS is now sharing information with Robert Mueller, the head of the ever-growing probe.
CNN reports the IRS Criminal Investigation division is disclosing tax records about campaign aides, including former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and former White House national security adviser, Michael Flynn.
The disclosure of information to special counsel happened after the IRS and Mueller’s team met with officials at the Treasury Department.
CNN wrote:
CNN has learned the IRS Criminal Investigation agents had been working with the FBI to investigate Manafort since before the election in a similar probe that centered on possible money laundering and tax fraud issues, according to the sources. It’s unclear if Flynn is now or was previously under investigation by the IRS. CNN has reported that Mueller’s team is examining Flynn’s payments from Turkey and Russia.
A former high-level Justice Department official says the information shared would include anything tax return-related such as real estate and banking records. The former official added the IRS is very restricted in what information it can share under Title 26 US Code and would normally need a specific grand jury subpoena in order to share tax returns with another agency.
The new information about the depth of IRS involvement renews questions surrounding the controversial issue of President Donald Trump’s tax returns, which he refused to release during the campaign despite decades of precedent by presidential candidates.
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