Advocates Outraged That Feds Asked Banks to Search Customers’ ‘Religious Texts’ Purchases

Faith leaders and religious liberty advocates are up in arms over news the federal government encouraged banks and other financial institutions to search customers’ private accounts using the search term “religious texts.” A congressional source with direct knowledge confirmed to The Epoch Times on Thursday that the “religious texts” search term was among those federal officials asked financial institutions to use following the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Other terms that banks, credit card companies, and financial firms were asked to use in the searches included “MAGA” and “Trump,” according to the House Judiciary Committee. Federal officials at the Department of Justice and the Department of the Treasury sought the data from such searches as part of their investigation of the events of Jan. 6....