In a startling revelation, a recent report by the House Judiciary Committee investigating FBI whistleblowers has shed light on Bank of America’s cooperation with the FBI in the aftermath of the events on January 6. According to testimony provided by former FBI supervisory intelligence officer George Hill and FBI whistleblower Garret O’Boyle, Bank of America handed over a comprehensive list to the FBI’s Washington Field Office, containing the names of individuals who had conducted transactions in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region using Bank of America credit or debit cards between January 5 and 7, 2021.
During the hearing held by the House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, Hill revealed a noteworthy detail—that individuals who had previously made purchases of firearms with Bank of America products were prioritized and placed at the top of the list provided to the FBI Washington Field Office. This revelation drew attention to concerns surrounding the potential lack of safeguards and geolocation fencing when mining data pertaining to American citizens’ firearms purchases.
While it remains unclear whether Bank of America willingly shared customer transaction records with the FBI’s Washington Field Office in response to a bulk subpoena, Hill firmly stated that there was no legal process requesting such information from the Bureau, the Department of Justice, or any other authorized entity.
The Judiciary report compiled on these findings affirmed that Hill had a reasonable belief that a violation of the law had occurred, underscoring the gravity of the alleged disclosure of American customers’ financial information by Bank of America. Representative Dan Bishop of North Carolina strongly condemned this act, characterizing it as a “victimization at scale” of American citizens. He emphasized that Bank of America had supplied the FBI with a list encompassing all individuals who had utilized their credit or debit cards in the D.C. area between January 5 and 7, 2021, irrespective of their involvement in the events of January 6th.
This development adds to the growing body of information surrounding FBI surveillance efforts targeting individuals potentially linked to the January 6 demonstrations. A recent FBI audit highlighted “insufficient justification” for two FISA searches related to the “January 6th Capitol Violence,” raising questions about the extent and legality of the bureau’s investigative methods.
As the investigation unfolds, concerns regarding privacy, civil liberties, and the balance between security and individual rights continue to be at the forefront of the national conversation, reminding us of the complex challenges faced in safeguarding democratic principles in an increasingly complex world.