Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) pressed Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Friday over a report that said federal officials instructed banks to turn over customer data of transactions flagged with terms like “TRUMP” or “MAGA.”
Scott’s letter came after documents obtained by the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government showed that the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) had flagged the terms as part of its investigation related to the January 6 riot. Banks were also told to look at transactions involving the purchase of religious texts and outdoor sporting goods stores like Cabela’s.
“These allegations, if true, represent a flagrant violation of Americans’ privacy and the improper targeting of U.S. citizens for exercising their constitutional rights without due process,” Scott, the ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee,
