GOP Rep. Claims Bank Shared Private Data with FBI on Jan 6 in D.C.

Bank of America Allegedly Provided FBI with Private Financial Information

Republican Dan Bishop Claims Widespread Surveillance of Americans

North Carolina Republican Dan Bishop has accused Bank of America of providing the FBI with private financial information about anyone who was in Washington, D.C., from January 5-7, 2021. Bishop, a member of the Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, claims that the federal government has widely victimized Americans through widespread surveillance, even those not accused of any wrongdoing on January 6.

According to Bishop, “Bank of America gave a list to the FBI of anyone who used BofA credit/debit cards in the DC area between Jan 5-7th, 2021 – regardless of whether they participated in the events of Jan. 6th.”

During a hearing of the committee, Bishop referenced whistleblower testimony that the bank had voluntarily turned over credit card transactions for anyone who was in the D.C. area around January 6. The whistleblower’s claims were highlighted in a report from the weaponization committee that characterized the testimony as “highly alarming.”

Other Republicans backed up Bishop, calling for more protections for the liberty of Americans, with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) referring to the Bank of America’s “astonishing conduct.”

In response to the allegations, Bank of America said that it “follows all applicable laws and regulatory requirements to receive, evaluate, process, safeguard and narrowly respond to law enforcement requests.”

However, Bishop remains critical of the FBI, stating that they are “rotten to the core” in response to another report that the FBI had wrongly accessed data for hundreds of thousands of Americans. “Rotten to the core. It’s far past time to cut their budget and institute significant reforms. The weaponization of the federal government must end,” Bishop said.

Republicans Call for Protection of Financial Privacy

The allegations against Bank of America have sparked concern among Republicans, with West Virginia State Treasurer Riley Moore stating that “big banks and big government colluding to violate the privacy of American citizens without a warrant is dangerous and unacceptable.” Financial privacy is a cornerstone of individual liberty, and Republicans are calling for more protections for Americans’ privacy rights.