Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) shined a light on allegations that the Biden administration was “putting politics first” in flagging purchases of religious texts as signs of extremism.
Scott commented on the allegations during a Senate Banking Committee hearing Thursday, two weeks after the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government raised a red flag over the news. According to the subcommittee, financial institutions were asked to flag transactions that used terms such as “MAGA” or “TRUMP,” in addition to purchases of a Bible and even general purchases at stores like Cabela’s or Dick’s Sporting Goods.
“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 concerns about the FBI’s respect for fundamental civil liberties,” the subcommittee wrote in its statement.
“What concerns me even more than all of this is recent allegations that suggest that federal law enforcement and financial regulators may be expending their resources to target Americans for their political and religious beliefs,” Scott said.
“Instead of targeting Americans for purchasing Bibles or shopping at the Bass Pro Shops, our government should focus on doing its job: protecting our families and prosecuting actual criminals, including those behind financial scams. Unfortunately, these examples are part of a larger trend we have seen from this administration of putting politics first,” he added.
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Thursday’s hearing was centered on “Examining Scams and Fraud in the Banking System and Their Impact on Consumers.” It involved testimony from witnesses of the American Bankers Association and National Consumers League.
Next week, the committee will hear the Financial Stability Oversight Council Annual Report to Congress from Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
