Senator Demands to Know Who at Treasury Department Approved Search of ‘Religious Texts’ by Financial Institutions

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

A key member of the Senate Banking Committee probes Treasury’s request for transaction-level searches ‘indicative of extremism’ for Jan. 6 investigation.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) wants to know who at the Department of Treasury approved searches of Americans’ private financial accounts for transactions for “religious texts”; which books, if any, were singled out; and why such purchases were assumed to indicate that an individual was involved in “domestic violent terrorism.”

In a Jan. 19 letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Andrea Gacki, director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), Mr. Scott said such searches “represent a flagrant violation of Americans’ privacy and the improper targeting of U.S. citizens for exercising their constitutional rights without due process.”

Mr. Scott, who is the ranking Republican member on the Senate Banking Committee, asked Ms. Yellen and Ms. Gacki: “Which religious texts were flagged as potentially indicative of extremism?

“On what basis did Treasury/FinCEN conclude that purchasing or possessing of religious texts may be indicative of extremism?

“Who made the decision for Treasury/FinCEN to warn financial institutions that religious texts may indicate extremism?”

Mr. Scott went on to write that “federal government efforts to target individuals and entities based on their political views is a blatant and egregious violation of our Constitution … [and] reported actions like these disrupt confidence in federal law enforcement and raise significant questions regarding the independence of federal financial regulators.”

The South Carolina Republican lawmaker’s demands were sparked by the House Judiciary Committee’s Jan. 17 release of documents describing a joint operation involving FinCEN, which is part of the Treasury Department, and the FBI, in which federal officials encouraged the searches, with the results to be shared with the government.

The “religious texts” search term was among many federal officials asked financial institutions to use following the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol, a congressional source with direct knowledge confirmed to The Epoch Times on Jan. 18. Other terms that banks, credit card companies, and financial firms were asked to use in the searches included “MAGA” and “Trump,” according to the House Judiciary Committee.

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

On Declaring War, Congress De Facto Amended the Constitution

Congress has de facto amended the Constitution by 55 years of refusing to debate matters of war and peace.

AI is Now an Existential Threat

We now see evidence that artificial intelligence is an existential threat to our future. It is coming to take American jobs!

Supreme Court Curbs Nationwide Injunctions, Handing Trump a Major Victory

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal district judges can no longer issue nationwide injunctions, delivering a victory for Trump and his admin.

With or without

The mullahs of Iran have been at war with the West, particularly the US, for half a century and Iran is also the world’s foremost champion of terrorism.

Artificial Intelligence Equals Awful Iniquities

WSJ article “AI is Learning to Escape Human Control” said in 79 of 100 trials, the o3 AI code systems edited their own code to prevent human shutdown!

AOC – Acting On Cue

It is easy to dislike Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), also known as Sandy Cortez, because she is fraudulent and not to smart.

Musk Again Wades Into Politics, Calls GOP Bill ‘Insane and Destructive’

“The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!” Musk wrote in a Saturday post on X.

Nevada Seen as Case Study in Rapid Urban Sprawl Amid a Water Crisis

Nevada’s rapidly growing population has reached a critical intersection with the region’s worsening water crisis, according to experts.

US Streamlines Rule for Fining Illegal Immigrants, Will Issue Nearly $1,000 Daily Fines for Noncompliance

DHS and DOJ announced a new joint federal rule that streamlines the process of issuing fines for illegal immigrants, making it easier and more efficient.

Canada-US Trade Talks Will End Until ‘Certain Taxes’ Are Dropped, Trump Stresses

Trade discussions between Canada and the United States will end “until such time as they drop certain taxes,” U.S. President Trump said in an interview.

Trump Says US to Send Tariff Letters to Trade Partners Before July 9 Deadline

President Donald Trump said Sunday he will soon send letters to trading partners detailing the tariffs to be imposed on their exports to the United States.

Trump Says He Found a Buyer for TikTok

President Trump said he found a buyer for the Chinese-owned short video application TikTok, and that he will reveal the group in roughly two weeks.

Termination of ‘Wasteful Contracts’ Saves US Government $470 Million Last Week: DOGE

Over the past seven days, various government agencies have terminated 312 “wasteful contracts” with a ceiling value of $2.8 billion, the DOGE said.
spot_img

Related Articles