Why did the Bank of America unlawfully scan pro-Trump transactions for the FEDs?!

Tucker exclusive: Bank of America scanned innocent pro-Trump customers’ transactions for feds

NEWSLA

Fox News host Tucker Carlson dropped a bombshell Thursday night in his opening monologue of “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” saying the show has obtained evidence that Bank of America has “ratted” out its customer base by sharing private information with federal law enforcement agencies.

One of the largest banks in the U.S., with 60 million customers, BOA reportedly gave  customer transaction data to the government to help track down people who were at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th — most of whom committed no crimes.

Carlson began by talking about Biden administration’s “war on terror,” a war against “violent extremism and the people who embrace it,” and while the media is on board with hunting these people down, the Fox News host noted a telling omission at play — nobody is defining who these dangerous, violent domestic terrorists are.

“Have you noticed? None of these newly energized and highly empowered extremist hunters have told us exactly what an extremist is,” Carlson said. “So 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?”

And if they are, what exactly are they doing? How are they hunting these extremists they keep telling us about but will not describe?” he continued. “We 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.”

Carlson charged that Bank of America “is, without the knowledge or the consent of its customers sharing private information with federal law enforcement agencies.”

“Bank of America effectively is acting as an intelligence agency. But they are not telling you about it,” he explained.

After last month’s assault on the Capitol, the bank went through customer financial and transaction records — debit card and credit card purchases — at the request of federal investigators, looking for people who fit a specific profile, according to Carlson.

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 “purchase of weapons or at a weapons-related merchant.” Activity leading up to Inauguration Day was also of interest.

As Carlson noted, the parameters of the profile are “remarkably broad.”

“That is a very, very wide net, an absurdly wide net,” he stressed. “Bank 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 — apparently without notifying the customers who were being spied upon.”

Carlson said federal investigators interviewed at least one unexpecting person, who turned out to have done anything wrong and was cleared.

“Imagine if you were that person,” he added. “The FBI hauls you in for questioning in a terror investigation… 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.”

“Because Bank of America did that, you are being treated like a member of Al Qaeda,” he continued. “What country is this? It doesn’t matter how much you despise Donald Trump, or how much you believe that hatred of Trump justifies the suspending this country’s ancient civil liberties.”

Sharing a statement from Bank of America, Carlson questioned the veracity of the release, even questioning whether their actions are legal.

“We don’t 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,” the statement read.

“Bank of America did have a choice, Carlson insisted. “The 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’re going to be precise about it, that what Bank of America did is even legal. It turns out it’s not simple. It’s a gray area.”

Here’s a handful of responses from Twitter capturing the outrage over the troubling story:

Completely unacceptable. Why are now China, except it’s the corporate oligarchy running things https://t.co/w3mcYGXQO4

— ScottAllanCole (@scottallancole) February 5, 2021

If @BankofAmerica will turn over customer data without subpoena to a wide-ranging federal search, that’s a company I would not want to do business with https://t.co/SE8Ocqm5Wi

— Joshua Horn (@hornj) February 5, 2021

If this is accurate, it’s 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. https://t.co/msK2CiP4Jf

— Scott Ruesterholz (@Read_N_Learn) February 5, 2021

The more I think about this, the more disturbing it is. https://t.co/CLMoQlB6zK

— Kathleen McKinley (@KatMcKinley) February 5, 2021

WTF country are we living in? https://t.co/JsdvdE9kYg

— Reaganette (@Ezinger44) February 5, 2021

Senior Staff Writer
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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.

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