Huh.
The FBI can do some work when it wants to, like tracking down anyone who was in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021. They used cell phone pings to track people's locations and got banks to give up lists of customers who used ATMs. As we reported last spring, Bank of America gave the FBI a list of anyone who made a transaction in D.C. between January 5 and 7.
But what were they looking for in those transactions? Signs of extremism, like purchases from Bass Pro Shops.
EXCLUSIVE: Feds asked banks to search & filter customer transactions by using terms like "MAGA" & "Trump" as part of probe into Jan. 6, warning that purchases of "religious texts" could indicate "extremism," per @JudiciaryGOP #MAGA #Trump https://t.co/qaNdIFa6yq
— Brooke Singman (@BrookeSingman) January 17, 2024
The @JudiciaryGOP also obtained documents that indicate officials suggested that banks query transactions with keywords like Dick's Sporting Goods, Cabela's, Bass Pro Shops and more.@dickssportingss @BassProShops @Cabelas https://t.co/qaNdIFa6yq
— Brooke Singman (@BrookeSingman) January 17, 2024
The House Judiciary GOP made the announcement:
Shop at Bass Pro Shop recently?
— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) January 17, 2024
How about Cabela’s?
Bought a bible?
If so, the federal government may be coming after YOU. https://t.co/NNRZboXRDr
Did you shop at Bass Pro Shop yesterday or purchase a Bible?
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) January 18, 2024
If so, the federal government may be watching you.
We now know the federal government flagged terms like “MAGA” and “TRUMP,” to financial institutions if Americans completed transactions using those terms.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) January 17, 2024
What was also flagged? If you bought a religious text, like a BIBLE, or shopped at Bass Pro Shop. pic.twitter.com/jjRaVNItWz
FinCEN is the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network:
FinCEN warned financial institutions of "extremism" indicators that include "transportation charges, such as bus tickets, rental cars, or plane tickets, for travel to areas with no apparent purpose" or "the purchase of books (including religious texts) and subscriptions to other media containing extremist views."
So the FBI was trying to track down extremists by their purchases at Bass Pro Shops, which are apparently a front for far-right extremists.
There can be no reasonable debate. We are living under a purely tyrannical government.
— Alastair Janko (@AlastairJanko) January 17, 2024
Tyranny is people fearing the government … Liberty is government fearing the people.
It’s time to turn the tables in favor of liberty. Starting with defunding the FBI.
1st and 4th amendment violations.
— Evil Jesus (@EvilJ3sus) January 17, 2024
I think it’s time to cut down and limit the government…
— David Krappenschitz (@davidkrapen) January 17, 2024
Starting with FinCEN.
The question is what actions are the Republicans going to take to stop this madness. My guess, absolutely nothing as they will just be complacent after all is said and done.
— Not Bamboozled 🇺🇸 (@tomkitas1) January 17, 2024
This is one of the most egregious violations of our Constitution
— Jim Hanson (@JimHansonDC) January 17, 2024
I can ever recall
The federal government is enlisting financial institutions
To spy on citizens with the sole justification
They are political opponents
I am once again begging Congress to do it's job for once and stop just telling us all the bad an illegal things Joe Biden is doing and instead impeach him.
— Shem Horne (@Shem_Infinite) January 17, 2024
We have a mountain of evidence confirming federal law enforcement targets American citizens based on political and religious beliefs. The question is, what is Congress going to do about it?
— Righteous⚡️Crusader (@Craftmastah) January 17, 2024
Where is accountability for this blatant disregard of constitutional rights?
— a Johnson for the news (@newsjohnson) January 17, 2024
We are the enemy they fear.
— ZNO 🇺🇸 (@therealZNO) January 17, 2024
They label those who believe in objective reality and truth as the adversary.
We inspire fear because we will not adhere to their false reality.
Their disgust for life, liberty, family, God, and country are the very things we value & hold sacred.
This is starting to make sense with those that keep saying the government will eventually control what we can and can’t spend money on.
— JenPat45 (@jennifer_wilds) January 17, 2024
They don't want you buying guns with credit cards.
Cabela's and Bass Pro Extremists all over Montana
— Adrianne Curry (@AdrianneCurry) January 18, 2024
Those we elect need to protect us from this. You oversee the people doing these things to innocent Americans. It is your duty to hold them accountable and not just with a tweet.
— ana mcnally (@aimcnally1956) January 17, 2024
We are at a precipice. Congress can stand up for people regardless of politics or give in to fascism.
— Thirteen O'Clock - Todd (@o_thirteen) January 17, 2024
Choose.
"Christian nationalists" are the new "white supremacists" as the biggest domestic terrorist threat. It's remarkable how many people in the replies are saying the FBI was just doing its job — tracking down insurrectionists who tried to overthrow the government.
And they say if Trump is reelected the country will descend into fascism.
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