maga hat trump supporter
© AP Photo/Michael ConroySupporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wait for the start of a rally in Westfield, Ind., Tuesday, July 12, 2016.
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network urged financial institutions in the wake of January 6, 2021 to look through customers' transactions, using search terms like "Trump" and "MAGA."

The federal government flags terms like "MAGA" and "Trump" for financial institutions if Americans use those phrases when completing transactions, according to new documents obtained by the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.

GOP lawmakers on the panel said that individuals who shopped at retailers such as Cabela's or Dick's Sporting Goods or purchased religious texts such as the Bible may also have had their transactions flagged.

Rep. Jim Jordan, the chairman of both the select subcommittee and the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher A. Wray requesting a transcribed interview from Peter Sullivan, senior private sector partner for outreach in the Strategic Partner Engagement Section of the FBI.

Peter sullivan fbi investigation finanicial sector partner
© ACAMSPeter
Sullivan
FBI Counterterrorism Division, Senior Financial Private Sector Outreach Liaison
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
He added, "In other words, FinCEN urged large financial institutions to comb through the private transactions of their customers for suspicious charges on the basis of protected political and religious expression."

According to Mr. Jordan, the Committee and Select Subcommittee also obtained documents showing that FinCEN distributed slides, prepared by a financial institution, "explaining how other financial institutions can use MCC codes to detect customers whose transactions may reflect 'potential active shooters, [and] who may include dangerous International Terrorists / Domestic Terrorists / Homegrown Violent Extremists ('Lone Wolves').'"

The FinCEN slides, he wrote to Mr. Bishoff, instruct financial institutions to look for transactions using certain MCC codes such as "3484: Small Arms," "5091: Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies," and the keywords "Cabela's," and "Dick's Sporting Goods," among several others.

"Despite these transactions having no apparent criminal nexus — and, in fact, relate to Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights — FinCEN seems to have adopted a characterization of these Americans as potential threat actors," Mr. Jordan said.

"This kind of pervasive financial surveillance, carried out in coordination with and at the request of federal law enforcement, into Americans' private transactions is alarming and raises serious doubts about FinCEN's respect for fundamental civil liberties," he added.

The Washington Times reached out to the FBI and FinCEN but did not immediately hear back.

According to the chairman, documents obtained by the committee and select subcommittee also show that FBI personnel, including Mr. Sullivan, made contact with and provided Bank of America with specific search terms, indicating that it was "interested in all financial relationships" of BoA customers transacting in Washington D.C. and customers who had made "ANY historical purchase" of a firearm, or who had purchased a hotel, Airbnb, or airline travel within a given date range.

"In addition, the Committee and Select Subcommittee have obtained documents indicating that FBI personnel in the Office of Private Sector prepared an official report that broadly characterized certain political beliefs as indicative of domestic violent extremism," Mr. Jordan wrote.

The report was titled "Domestic Violent Extremists Likely Emboldened in Aftermath of Capitol Breach," and was distributed to financial institutions, he noted, "for the purpose of 'alert[ing] private sector partners that the 6 January 2021 violent breach by suspected domestic violent extremists into the U.S. Capitol Building may serve as a driver for a diverse set of DVEs.'"

"Among other things, the report identified as reasons that could 'mobiliz[e] criminal actors and DVEs to violence' to include 'increased socio-political pressures' surrounding 'firearm legislation,' the easing of immigration restrictions as well as 'discontent with renewed measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19," Mr. Jordan wrote.
Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.