(IntegrityPress.org) – Federal agents and FBI officials asked banks to search their customer’s purchases for mention of the terms “TRUMP” and “MAGA,” according to newly released documents from the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.
A detailed letter from Committee Chairman Jim Jordan to FBI Director Christopher Wray dated January 17th outlines how Bank of America (BoA) provided information to the FBI about its customers who made purchases in or around the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area on January 5th through the 7th of 2021. Jordan alleges that FBI agents including Steve Jensen gave specific search terms to BoA and said they wanted all the information about customers who purchased hotel, airbnb, a firearm, or airline travel during the time period.
Jordan’s letter also said that they had obtained evidence that FBI officers within its Office of Private Sector wrote an official report that characterized constitutionally protected political beliefs as indicators of potential for domestic extremism. The political beliefs targeted by FBI officials included concerns about firearm legislation, immigration restrictions, and discontent with official pandemic policies.
Jordan suggested that the broad brush the FBI was using was reminiscent of how it recently characterized traditional Catholics as domestic terrorists.
Jordan added that all of these transactions and beliefs were legitimate and legal behaviors that the FBI had no business scrutinizing. He called the behavior “passive financial surveillance” and suggested it was “alarming.” Jordan added that the FBI’s behavior raised “serious doubts” about its fundamental approach to law enforcement and respect for American civil liberties.
Jordan asked for FBI officials to come to Congress and explain this behavior; they included Noah Bishoff, who was the previous head of the Office of Stakeholder Integration and Engagement in the Strategic Operations Division of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
FinCEN officials wanted financial institutions to identify any customers who bought certain books, made a constitutionally protected purchase of a firearm, or traveled to engage in protest activity protected by the First Amendment. Jordan wants someone from the FBI to explain why.
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