Goldman, according to people briefed on the situation but not authorized to speak on the record, put Mr. Thorburn on paid administrative leave last week after he was interviewed by company officials about details that appeared in The Times’s article.

These people say that Mr. Thorburn sought to distance himself from the website. Ultimately, the bank became concerned about apparent inconsistencies in Mr. Thorburn’s story, and placed him on leave, they said.

Mr. Thorburn did not respond to requests for comment. A person who answered his phone at Goldman said he was not expected at work on Monday. Andrew Williams, a spokesman for Goldman, declined to comment.

Mr. Thorburn has been with Goldman in New York since March 2014, according to public records kept with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, which is Wall Street’s self-regulatory body. He had previously worked at JBWere, a financial services firm in Australia that has ties to Goldman.

Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for Mr. Trump, a Republican, said, “We are not involved in any way and do not wish to be.” She added that the Trump campaign did not know Mr. Thorburn and was not familiar with Goldman’s personnel policies.