Bank of America reportedly shared customers’ private transactions, including gun purchases, with FBI around Jan. 6; lawmakers investigating whether other banks did the same



Republican lawmakers are expanding an investigation into banks allegedly voluntarily sharing customers' private financial data with the FBI around the time of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, the GOP's House Judiciary Committee announced Monday.

"The banks should not be conducting a dragnet for the FBI where every customer is a suspect, and if they are, we need to do something about it because it's an end-run around the Constitution," Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) told TheBlaze in an interview Monday afternoon.

"Did the FBI wink and nod at the banks and say, 'Well, we can't ask you to give this to us, but if you voluntarily gave it to us, we can receive it?'" Massie said, adding that if such an action had in fact occurred, he would consider it to be "just more evidence of malfeasance at the FBI."

Rep. Massie and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) fired off letters Monday to the CEOs of six of the country's largest financial institutions: JP Morgan Chase & Company, Citigroup, Truist Financial Corporation, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bancorp, and PNC Financial Services.

"Just like with the Twitter censorship, if you have one company in a field doing it, probably the rest of them are as well," Massie said. Massie emphasized that the letters were not based on a mere "hunch." To the contrary, they were based on testimony from career FBI officials about Bank of America sharing customers' financial information.

"[The FBI whistleblowers] have no reason to make this up. And so I think there is some there-there. We need to find out what that is."

The letters summarize the testimony of two FBI whistleblowers. Those whistleblowers told the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government that the Bank of America voluntarily provided the FBI with a list of individuals who made transactions in the D.C. area in a three-day timeframe around the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.

Bank of America also provided the FBI with transactions at gun shops, Massie told TheBlaze. Crucially, the gun shop purchases were not geofenced to D.C. and were not limited in time.

"I would use cash for purchases that I don't want the government to know about, because based on information we have from FBI whistleblowers, it seems your financial data is not safe and your privacy is not maintained by the banks with respect to the government."

"The banks generated the list of suspects for the FBI," Massie also said.

"If there’s something that the government is precluded from doing by the Constitution, they can’t create a loophole by having private institutions who aren’t bound by the Constitution do it for them and then share it with them."

The letters, dated June 12, were addressed to JP Morgan Chase & Company CEO Jamie Dimon, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser, Truist Financial Corporation CEO William H. Rogers Jr., Wells Fargo CEO Charles W. Scharf, U.S. Bancorp CEO Andrew Cecere, and PNC Financial Services CEO William S. Demchak.

The Committee on the Judiciary and the Select Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government requested a response by June 26 to produce documents related to communications with federal law enforcement agencies concerning the use of their products, such as debit and credit cards.

If the banks do not comply with the request, Massie said the next step would be a subpoena.

If the banks do comply with the request, depending on what members find, the committee may call in the banks to talk to them. Depending on what the committee finds if and when the banks produce the requested documents, Massie told TheBlaze new legislation preventing it happening again could be on the table.

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Glenn Beck: Here's how US economy decisions are giving CHINA worldwide CONTROL



On the radio program Tuesday, Glenn Beck broke down today's inflation, explaining what it is and giving proof that those at the top — politicians and world elite — continue to take advantage of our declining economy to advance their own agenda. He also revealed how a recent decision by Citibank and powerful investment management company, BlackRock, not only puts the U.S. further behind but also allows for China to gain worldwide control.

Watch the video clip below to hear Glenn break it all down:



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‘I’m Glad To Deal With It’: Gov. Kemp Fends Off Corporate Criticism Of Georgia’s Sweeping Voting Law Changes

'If they want to have a debate about the merits and the facts of the bill, then we should do that'

Multiple companies yank donations from Republicans who opposed Electoral College certification



At least three major corporations have announced they will stop giving to the political campaigns of Republican lawmakers who opposed the certification of Joe Biden's Electoral College victory.

The development comes as America attempts to reckon with the deadly riots on the U.S. Capitol last week, which happened as a joint-session of Congress was meeting to certify Biden's win. Those lawmakers who opposed the certification have been at least partially blamed for helping instigate the riots by sowing doubt into the legitimacy of Biden's victory.

Despite the violence, 147 Republican lawmakers — 139 representatives and eight senators — still voted against the certification of Electoral College results.

What's happening now?

Popular Information, a political newsletter operated by left-wing operative Judd Legum, contacted 144 corporations that financially supported the Republican lawmakers, specifically the eight senators, through their corporate PACs, asking if the companies would continue to support the lawmakers.

In response, three of the companies told Popular Information they would stop donating:

  • Marriott International, the world's largest hotel chain
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield, one of America's largest health insurance providers
  • Commerce Bancshares

In a statement, a spokesperson for Marriott said, "We have taken the destructive events at the Capitol to undermine a legitimate and fair election into consideration and will be pausing political giving from our Political Action Committee to those who voted against certification of the election."

Meanwhile, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association president and CEO Kim Keck told Popular Information that it was suspending political donations to the 147 Republicans who voted against certification, calling their decision one that sought to "undermine our democracy."

At the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, we continuously evaluate our political contributions to ensure that those we support share our values and goals. In light of this week's violent, shocking assault on the United States Capitol, and the votes of some members of Congress to subvert the results of November's election by challenging Electoral College results, BCBSA will suspend contributions to those lawmakers who voted to undermine our democracy.

While a contrast of ideas, ideological differences and partisanship are all part of our politics, weakening our political system and eroding public confidence in it must never be. We will continue to support lawmakers and candidates in both political parties who will work with us to build a stronger, healthier nation.

Commerce Bancshares told Popular Information, "At this time, we have suspended all support for officials who have impeded the peaceful transfer of power. Commerce Bank condemns violence in any form and believes the actions witnessed this week are abhorrent, anti-democratic and entirely contrary to supporting goodwill for Americans and businesses."

Legum later said that Citibank also told him it would pull their donations, but in Legum's article, he said that Citibank was pausing all PAC donations, not just those for Republicans.

UPDATE: @Citibank says it will “not support candidates who do not respect the rule of law” and will “pause contribu… https://t.co/x3Yz4Hxk7f
— Judd Legum (@Judd Legum)1610307273.0

A few companies told Popular Information they would temporarily suspend all PAC donations without partisan particularity, while others told the newsletter they were reviewing their policies.