Kerby Anderson

When I first mentioned that banks were urged to flag purchases of Bibles and religious material, I think most of my friends and listeners thought I was making this up. I wish I were. For anyone still skeptical, you merely need to read a few articles or tweets to see what is now being investigated.

Representative Jim Jordan is the chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. Two weeks ago, he sent a letter to the former director of the Treasury’s Division of Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

His subcommittee has obtained documents asking financial institutions to look for persons of interest. These materials included a document suggesting that banks look for terms like “TRUMP” and “MAGA” or other indicators of extremism. They were to flag transportation and the “purchase of books (including religious texts) and subscriptions to other media containing extremist views.”

The subcommittee also discovered that certain federal law enforcement agencies also were looking for data on transactions at sporting goods stores like Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shop.

In a recent tweet, Jim Jordan wrote, “We now know the federal government flagged terms like ‘MAGA’ and ‘TRUMP’ to financial institutions if Americans completed transactions using those terms.” He then added, “What was also flagged? If you bought a religious text, like a BIBLE, or shopped at Bass Pro Shop.”

I have been joking that I might be in trouble since this last year I purchased a Bible in a bookstore and bought a sleeping bag at Cabela’s. The typical response is this investigation is merely limited to investigating people at the January 6 riot. But if you look at the documents, “no specific time frame, frames, or limitations” are listed. That’s why this investigation needs to continue.