House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) is conducting an investigation into whether some companies helped the FBI and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a bureau of the Treasury Department, in their investigations into the financial transactions of former President Donald Trump’s supporters.
In a letter to executives at GoFundMe and Eventbrite on Monday, Jordan asked for communications with the FBI and FinCEN, noting that the latter sent an email to banks about flagging transactions that have to do with “TRUMP” and “MAGA.”
After the Capitol protest on Jan. 6, 2021, banks reportedly received a request from FinCEN to help with the identification of Trump supporters and those who bought religious texts like a Bible or visited some sporting and recreational supplies stores like Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops.
FinCEN reportedly gave the banks documentation on different typologies and suggested search terms. The banks were also directed to crowdfunding sites, according to Jordan.
“FinCEN warned financial institutions of ‘extremism’ indicators,” Jordan said.
In his letter to GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan, Jordan stated that FinCEN “emailed financial institutions a list of ‘crowdfunding sites’ that included GoFundMe, Eventbrite, and Anedot, among others, and explained how financial institutions could use a ‘transaction reference’ to identify customers making certain transactions on crowdfunding sites.”
“For example, in the email, FinCEN alerted financial institutions to customers’ use of Eventbrite, noting that ‘people have been observed using this site to post an event and sell tickets including bus tickets to the demonstrations,’” he said further, revealing that the government agency flagged people who “purchased tickets to events in support of President Trump” as targets for investigation.
“Despite these transactions having no apparent nexus to criminal activity — and, in fact, relate to Americans exercising their First Amendment rights — FinCEN seems to have adopted a characterization of these Americans as potential threat actors. This kind of pervasive financial surveillance, carried out in coordination with federal law enforcement, without legal process, into Americans’ private transactions is alarming and raises serious concerns about the federal government’s potential abuses of Americans’ fundamental civil liberties,” he wrote.
Jordan gave both Eventbrite and GoFundMe a deadline of March 18 to comply with his requests to turn over communications from the FBI or FinCen.
Jordan has previously revealed that the federal government agencies have been watching religious Americans or those who frequent outdoor stores that sell guns.
“Did you shop at Bass Pro Shop yesterday or purchase a Bible? If so, the federal government may be watching you,” he wrote in a post to X in January.
Did you shop at Bass Pro Shop yesterday or purchase a Bible?
If so, the federal government may be watching you.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) January 18, 2024
