Avast ye scurvy senators! Gun rights crew be demandin' ye to question Yellen 'bout Treasury's huntin' o' gun transactions.
2024-02-07
Arr mateys! The Gun Owners of America be beggin' the mighty U.S. senators to squeeze the Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, for some answers. They be wantin' to know how her department be keepin' an eye on the loot flowin' through the gun trade, ye savvy?
The Gun Owners of America (GOA), a gun rights group representing over 2 million members, is calling on senators to question Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen about alleged privacy violations. The group is concerned about recent revelations that federal investigators asked banks to search and filter customer transactions for terms related to the firearms industry. Aidan Johnston, the director of Federal Affairs for GOA, stated that Congress cannot allow the government to establish and expand databases on guns and gun owners. The Treasury Department's Office of Stakeholder Integration and Engagement in the Strategic Operations of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) provided financial institutions with materials outlining search terms and codes for identifying transactions related to federal law enforcement. These terms included political figures, extremist groups, and terms related to firearms and the firearms industry. The purpose was to flag potential active shooters and terrorists. GOA raised concerns about the Treasury teaching financial institutions how to search financial data to find gun owners and the potential violation of privacy rights. The group also referenced Bank of America voluntarily providing the FBI with a list of individuals who made firearms transactions in the Washington, D.C. area, as well as accusations that the ATF is maintaining an illegal gun registry. GOA is urging senators to ask Yellen about these issues and the protection of privacy rights for law-abiding Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights. The Treasury Department declined to comment on the matter.