Federal agencies have a long history of monitoring Americans with whom they disagree. Historical cases have revealed how feds have targeted everyone from actors to civil rights leaders to everyday citizens.
One of the most recent cases involves the FBI branding specific members of the public as “militia violent extremists.” Those branded with this targeted label include business owners, gun rights supporters, and people of faith. And all of them made purchases of items the feds have allegedly been tracking.
What is surprising is the revelation of what the feds appear to be tracking. The revelation broke wide open when Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) shined a light on allegations that the Biden administration was “putting politics first” by tracking purchases of the most published book on the planet – the Bible.
From the Washington Examiner:
“What concerns me even more than all of this is recent allegations that suggest that federal law enforcement and financial regulators may be expending their resources to target Americans for their political and religious beliefs,” Scott said. “Instead of targeting Americans for purchasing Bibles or shopping at the Bass Pro Shops, our government should focus on doing its job: protecting our families and prosecuting actual criminals, including those behind financial scams.”
Scott, speaking during a Senate Banking Committee hearing this week, added that these examples are part of a larger trend where the Biden administration politics ahead of defending Americans’ rights and safety. Scott’s comments came two weeks after the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government raised concerns about flagging everyday purchases of the Bible as a sign of extremism.
The subcommittee reported that financial institutions were asked to flag transactions that used terms such as “MAGA” or “TRUMP.” This targeting of purchase included the Bible and even general purchases at stores such as Cabela’s (owned by Bass Pro Shops) or Dick’s Sporting Goods.
“This kind of pervasive financial surveillance, carried out in coordination with and at the request of federal law enforcement, into Americans’ private transactions is alarming and raises serious concerns about the FBI’s respect for fundamental civil liberties,” the subcommittee wrote in its statement.
The FBI’s attempts to label everyday Americans as extremists based on legal purchases of items in stores is a problem that must be dealt with by Congress. Federal agencies should be stopped from targeting citizens and their rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
Key Takeaways:
- Tim Scott dropped the hammer on the Biden team for allegedly targeting Bible purchases.
- The senator revealed how federal agencies asked financial institutions to track key terms.
- Suspect terms targeted by the FBI included “MAGA” or “TRUMP” as a sign of extremism.
Source: Washington Examiner
