By Leif Le Mahieu
Federal officials instructed banks to comb through customer data if terms like “TRUMP” or “MAGA” were used in transactions, according to documents obtained by the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.
The revelations were made as House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) announced he had requested an interview with Noah Bishoff, the former director of the Office of Stakeholder Integration and Engagement in the Strategic Operations Division of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
“We now know the federal government flagged terms like ‘MAGA’ and ‘TRUMP,’ to financial institutions if Americans completed transactions using those terms,” Jordan said. “What was also flagged? If you bought a religious text, like a BIBLE, or shopped at Bass Pro Shop.”
FinCEN reportedly asked banks to help federal law enforcement identify transactions of persons of interest using specific typologies and Merchant Category Codes after January 6, 2021. FinCEN provided the banks with documentation on various typologies and suggested search terms, according to Jordan.