The House Republicans have initiated an inquiry into the actions of Bank of America, accusing the financial institution of providing customer banking records to the FBI during the January 6 Capitol riot investigation.
A group of Republican representatives in the House of Representatives recently penned a letter to Brian Moynihan, the CEO of Bank of America, seeking the bank’s cooperation in an ongoing investigation conducted by the House Judiciary Committee. The inquiry aims to determine whether the bank willingly disclosed a list of its customers who conducted transactions around the time of the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
The Subcommittees requested the Weaponization of the Federal Government, led by Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, and on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust, chaired by Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky. They are now focused on examining the information about American citizens relayed to the FBI by private entities, including Bank of America.
According to the letter sent to Moynihan and disclosed by Fox News, the investigation was prompted by an FBI whistleblower who revealed that Bank of America voluntarily handed over a list of individuals who had made credit or debit card transactions in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area between January 5 and January 7, 2021. The House committee had expressed significant concern regarding the claim that individuals who had previously bought firearms through Bank of America were afforded preferential treatment by being placed at the forefront of the list, regardless of when or where the purchase occurred. This particular aspect has garnered notable attention from the committee members and forms a critical part of their investigation. The letter states the need for Bank of America’s cooperation in uncovering the truth behind these allegations.
Representatives Massie and Jordan have set a deadline of June 8 for the CEO to provide the requested records to facilitate the investigation. Additionally, Fox News reports that records of customers who had purchased firearms were given heightened importance and prioritization, irrespective of when or where the purchase was made.
It is worth noting that a retired FBI Supervisory Intelligence Analyst, George Hill, has come forward as a whistleblower, claiming that Bank of America compiled the aforementioned list and placed anyone who had purchased a firearm at any time on top of it.
In conclusion, the House Republicans are currently examining whether Bank of America intentionally handed over customer banking records to the FBI during the January 6 Capitol riot investigation. Their inquiry focuses on the allegation that customers who purchased firearms using the bank’s products were given preferential treatment. The deadline for Bank of America’s cooperation has been set, and a whistleblower has shed light on the bank’s involvement in compiling the list of customers.