Fox News host Tucker Carlson dropped a bombshell Thursday night in his opening monologue of \u201cTucker Carlson Tonight,\u201d saying the show has obtained evidence that Bank of America has \u201cratted\u201d out its customer base by sharing private information with federal law enforcement agencies.<\/p>\n
One of the largest banks in the U.S., with 60 million customers, BOA reportedly gave\u00a0 customer transaction data to the government to help track down people who were at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th \u2014 most of whom committed no crimes.<\/p>\n
Carlson began by talking about Biden administration\u2019s \u201cwar on terror,\u201d a war against \u201cviolent extremism and the people who embrace it,\u201d and while the media is on board with hunting these people down, the Fox News host noted a telling omission at play \u2014 nobody is defining who these\u00a0dangerous, violent domestic terrorists<\/em>\u00a0are.<\/p>\n \u201cHave you noticed? None of these newly energized and highly empowered extremist hunters have told us exactly what an extremist is,\u201d Carlson said. \u201cSo we are left to guess. We are left to look around nervously to see if we can spot one. Hoping against hope the whole time they are not talking about us. Are they?\u201d<\/p>\n And if they are, what exactly are they doing? How are they hunting these extremists they keep telling us about but will not describe?\u201d he continued. \u201cWe now know part of the answer to that question. This show has obtained exclusively evidence that Bank of America, the second largest bank in the country with more than 60 million customers, is actively but secretly engaged in the hunt for extremists in cooperation with the government.\u201d<\/p>\n Carlson charged that Bank of America \u201cis, without the knowledge or the consent of its customers sharing private information with federal law enforcement agencies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBank of America effectively is acting as an intelligence agency. But they are not telling you about it,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n After last month\u2019s assault on the Capitol, the bank went through customer financial and transaction records \u2014 debit card and credit card purchases \u2014 at the request of federal investigators, looking for people who fit a specific profile, according to Carlson.<\/p>\n He shared the specifics of that profile, which centered around purchases made in and around Washington, D.C., at the time of the protest, to include hotel stays, travel and the \u201cpurchase of weapons or at a weapons-related merchant.\u201d Activity leading up to Inauguration Day was also of interest.<\/p>\n As Carlson noted, the parameters of the profile are \u201cremarkably broad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat is a very, very wide net, an absurdly wide net,\u201d he stressed. \u201cBank of America identified a total of 211 customers who met these, quote, thresholds of interest. And it was at that point, the show has learned, Bank of America turned over the results of its internal scan to federal authorities \u2014 apparently without notifying the customers who were being spied upon.\u201d<\/p>\n Carlson said federal investigators interviewed at least one unexpecting person, who turned out to have done anything wrong and was cleared.<\/p>\n \u201cImagine if you were that person,\u201d he added. \u201cThe FBI hauls you in for questioning in a terror investigation\u2026 Now they are sweating you because your bank, which you trust with your most private information, information of everything you buy, has ratted you out to the feds without telling you, without your knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause Bank of America did that, you are being treated like a member of Al Qaeda,\u201d he continued. \u201cWhat country is this? It doesn\u2019t matter how much you despise Donald Trump, or how much you believe that hatred of Trump justifies the suspending this country\u2019s ancient civil liberties.\u201d<\/p>\n Sharing a statement from Bank of America, Carlson questioned the veracity of the release, even questioning whether their actions are legal.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t comment on our communications with law enforcement. All banks have responsibilities under federal law to cooperate with law enforcement inquiries, in full compliance with the law,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n \u201cBank of America did have a choice, Carlson insisted. \u201cThe bank could have resisted turning over information on its innocent customers to federal investigators. But Bank of America did not do that. Nor is it clear, if we\u2019re going to be precise about it, that what Bank of America did is even legal. It turns out it\u2019s not simple. It\u2019s a gray area.\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a handful of responses from Twitter capturing the outrage over the troubling story:<\/p>\n Completely unacceptable. Why are now China, except it\u2019s the corporate oligarchy running things\u00a0https:\/\/t.co\/w3mcYGXQO4<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 ScottAllanCole (@scottallancole)\u00a0February 5, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n If\u00a0@BankofAmerica<\/a>\u00a0will turn over customer data without subpoena to a wide-ranging federal search, that\u2019s a company I would not want to do business with\u00a0https:\/\/t.co\/SE8Ocqm5Wi<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Joshua Horn (@hornj)\u00a0February 5, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n If this is accurate, it\u2019s damning. Companies should not give away broad swaths of consumer data to the government. The government should have to get a warrant, and then, the company should comply.\u00a0https:\/\/t.co\/msK2CiP4Jf<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Scott Ruesterholz (@Read_N_Learn)\u00a0February 5, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n The more I think about this, the more disturbing it is.\u00a0https:\/\/t.co\/CLMoQlB6zK<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Kathleen McKinley (@KatMcKinley)\u00a0February 5, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n WTF country are we living in?\u00a0https:\/\/t.co\/JsdvdE9kYg<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Reaganette (@Ezinger44)\u00a0February 5, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Senior Staff Writer The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n Latest posts by Tom Tillison\u00a0(see all<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n
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