Report: Federal Authorities Received Assistance in Surveillance of Trump Supporters from 13 Banks

According to the Daily Mail, at least 13 financial institutions assisted the Biden administration in surveilling Donald Trump supporters without a warrant following the Jan. 6, 2021, riots on Capitol Hill.

House Republicans initiated an investigation in January, identifying six banks involved in aiding the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in monitoring bank records. The Daily Mail’s report revealed an additional seven banking firms.

In January, the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government disclosed that federal investigators instructed institutions to analyze customer transactions for terms like “MAGA” and “Trump.”

The report uncovered that supporters of Trump and individuals who made purchases at certain stores, such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Bass Pro Shops, and Cabela’s, as well as those who bought religious books like the Bible, were under surveillance.

The Weaponization panel, led by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, sent requests to the institutions for documents and communications related to the surveillance efforts.

Several additional banks, including Charles Schwab, HSBC, MUFG, PayPal, Santander, Standard Chartered, and Western Union, have now been added to the probe alongside the previously identified banks.

Concerns have been raised by Jordan regarding the federal government’s disregard for Americans’ privacy and civil liberties through warrantless financial surveillance.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen avoided questions from Republicans in early February regarding the operation during hearings on Capitol Hill.

Bank of America reportedly provided data on 211 individuals to FinCEN and the FBI in January 2021 after being requested to look for specific terms.

The Committee and Select Subcommittee expressed concerns about the manipulation of SAR filings by other financial institutions to obtain information on individuals without any federal criminal allegations.