In February, a whistleblower testified to the House Judiciary Committee that Bank of America had inappropriately shared customers’ bank information with the FBI to assist in the investigation of the January 6th Capitol riot.
The retired FBI National Security Intelligence Supervisor, George Hill, claimed that Bank of America provided the FBI with a list of customers who made transactions in or around D.C. on January 5-7, 2021. The list was reportedly compiled by Bank of America without any directive from the FBI.
Hill made several allegations during his testimony, including that Bank of America had prioritized customers who had purchased firearms using a Bank of America product, such as a debit or credit card.
Hill’s testimony is part of an ongoing investigation by the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government into allegations of civil liberties abuses by executive branch agencies.
Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) has stated that he has received “dozens” of complaints from FBI whistleblowers since President Biden took office. Jordan and the Judiciary Committee have interviewed three whistleblowers, including Hill, this year, and have requested 16 FBI employees testify in interviews with the committee.
Democrats have released a report claiming that the whistleblowers’ testimony is unreliable and accusing Hill specifically of providing unreliable testimony about Bank of America.
They argue that Bank of America providing evidence to the FBI in the aftermath of the attack on the Capitol is not evidence of FBI misconduct. Democrats sought to highlight Hill’s “bias” surrounding the January 6th riot by sharing several of his tweets, including one where he called the riot a “set up.” Hill retired from the FBI in October 2021.
Bank of America did not respond to a request for comment on the matter. The FBI responded to the issue by stating that they follow the law and the facts and will never open an investigation based solely on First-Amendment protected activity.
The story raises questions about Bank of America’s adherence to laws and policies, such as the Financial Right to Privacy Act, and the appropriateness of sharing customers’ financial transactions with the FBI.
