The Treasury Department confirmed on Friday that politically charged terms like “MAGA,” “Kamala,” “antifa,” “Biden,” and “Trump” were used to monitor private bank transactions in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot.
Treasury officials told Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), the lead Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, in a letter that private banks would flag suspicious activity to the department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
Suspicious activity included unusual transactions at certain stores like sporting goods stores and the use of politically charged words. The department also warned banks and financial institutions that purchasing religious books, including the Bible, and subscribing to media outlets that flaunt “extremist” views were also extremist indicators.
The letter also claimed that just the words, purchase history, or unusual transactions on their own were not enough to flag a person to the government but should be used alongside other factors.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The terms and codes were discovered as part of a House Judiciary Committee and Subcommittee on Weaponization of the Federal Government investigation.
The letter was in response to Scott’s request last month for more information on the surveillance. Scott claimed that the surveillance “represents a flagrant violation of Americans’ privacy and the improper targeting of U.S. citizens for exercising their constitutional rights without due process,” according to Fox News.
