The IRS has shared information about key Trump campaign officials with Russia special counsel Robert Mueller in his probe into meddling in last year's election, but it was not clear that the investigators have obtained tax information about President Donald Trump, CNN reported Tuesday.
The network's report was based on "people briefed on the matter."
The IRS Criminal Investigation has provided data on former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and former national security adviser Michael Flynn, according to the report.
However, "it is not clear whether the special counsel has asked for or obtained Trump's tax returns," CNN reported.
"Sources say if Mueller's office does have Trump's returns, then [Deputy Attorney General Rod] Rosenstein, who oversees the probe, likely would have needed to sign off, given the sensitivity surrounding the matter."
President Trump has declined to release his tax returns, saying that he remains under audit, and federal law heavily restricts what information the IRS can share with other agencies or the public.
Under Title 26 of the U.S. code, the IRS would normally need a specific grand jury subpoena from Mueller's investigators before providing tax returns to another government entity.
The information on Manafort and Flynn was shared after IRS and Mueller consulted with the Justice Department, CNN reported.
A former high-level Justice Department official told the network that the IRS information shared most likely included real estate and banking records — "anything tax-related."
In August, Mueller's investigators raided Manafort's home in Northern Virginia, seizing documents and other materials, a day after he met with the Senate Intelligence Committee in its Moscow probe.
Mueller's investigators are probing Manafort for possible violations relating to his consulting work for Ukraine's former ruling party.
Manafort has not been accused of wrongdoing. His lawyer didn't immediately comment for the CNN story.
In addition, Flynn's lawyers have slammed news reports about his connection to the Russia investigation as peddling "unfounded allegations" and "outrageous claims."
Flynn's lawyer declined to comment for this story.
The IRS Criminal Investigation division and the special counsel's office also declined to comment to CNN.