House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) issued a subpoena to Citibank over allegations that the company provided private information of customers involved in the January 6 Capitol Hill protests to the weaponized Department of Justice.
The subpoena came after Jordan declared the bank was not cooperating with the Committee’s requests to turn over crucial documentation.
“The Committee and Select Subcommittee have obtained evidence showing that at least one major financial institution provided the FBI with private financial data without legal process,” Jordan wrote to Sunil Garg, CEO of Citibank North America. “Bank of America (BoA) provided the FBI — voluntarily and without any legal process — with a list of individuals who made transactions in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area with a BoA credit or debit card between January 5 and January 7, 2021.”
Jordan’s letter also stated that individuals who previously bought a firearm with a BoA product were moved to the top of that list— regardless of the time or place of the firearm purchase.
The Committee alleges that the bank shared individuals’ private information regarding their accounts with the FBI despite having no criminal past.
Documents suggest that a Citibank representative participated in Zoom calls with the FBI and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) aimed at “identifying the best approach to information sharing, both strategic and operational,” in the aftermath of January 6.
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“These documents suggest that the executive branch was brainstorming informal methods— outside of legal process—for obtaining private customer information from financial institutions,” Jordan’s letter continued.
Jordan has also sought information from JPMorgan, PNC, U.S. Bancorp, Wells Fargo, and Trust Financial Corporation.
“Given this concerning testimony, the Committee has written to other major financial institutions, including Citibank, to determine whether those entities were involved in similar conduct,” he said.
The Ohio congressman hinted at future legislation that would hold financial institutions responsible if they participate in such activity.
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