New York City: A US Treasury Department official has been charged with leaking confidential documents relating to US President Donald Trump's former campaign chief Paul Manafort, the Russian embassy and others to a reporter from digital media company BuzzFeed.

Natalie May Edwards, a senior adviser in the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), was arrested on Tuesday and charged with unauthorised disclosure of suspicious activity reports and with conspiracy, according to the office of US Attorney Geoffrey Berman.

US attorney Geoffrey Berman poses in New York. Credit:AP

Both charges carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Edwards, 40, was expected to make an initial appearance in Virginia federal court later in the day.