IRS staffer pleads guilty to giving Avenatti confidential info about Cohen

An IRS staffer who authorities say gave former Stormy Daniels lawyer Michael Avenatti financial information about former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty Wednesday to gaining and distributing that information illegally. 

John C. Fry had worked as an investigative analyst with the IRS Criminal Investigation Division when he in 2018 downloaded five suspicious activity reports connected to Cohen and his company, according to NBC News. 

{mosads}The news outlet reported that Fry on Wednesday admitted to emailing Avenatti screenshots of the reports. He pleaded guilty to unauthorized disclosure of suspicious activity reports. 

“Fry was given access to sensitive and powerful government databases including people’s most private financial information and he was given that access to do his job as an investigative analyst,” said U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson, according to NBC. “He decided his politics were more important than his obligation to follow the law. In that, he was mistaken.”

Fry faces up to five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.

When he received the information, which he later posted on Twitter, Avenatti represented Daniels in a legal matter against President Trump over a nondisclosure agreement.

 Fry was charged in February.