Bank of America accused of religious and political ‘discrimination’ by ‘de-banking’ or refusing to service Trump supporters, Christian churches and Republican-led states want answers

A dozen Republican-led states plan to send a letter to Bank of America demanding an explanation for why it allegedly cut off Christian and other conservative groups.

The letter, first obtained by DailyMail.com, led by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, demands the financial institution release documents related to its account cancellation policies and requests that the bank update its terms of service to not discriminate against customers with certain political or religious affiliations beliefs.

The announcement comes after it was revealed that Bank of America sent the FBI and the U.S. Treasury Department financial information about private consumers to help the agencies investigate crimes related to the Jan. 6 Capitol protest.

“Unfortunately, Bank of America appears to condition access to its services on customers having the bank’s preferred religious or political views,” Kobach wrote in the letter to Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, obtained by DailyMail.com.

‘Your discriminatory conduct is a serious threat to freedom of expression and freedom of religion, is potentially illegal and causes political and regulatory backlash.’

The House Judiciary Committee revealed in January that officials at the US Treasury Department circulated a memo instructing financial institutions on how to spot extremism indicators such as purchases of trips to Washington, DC or religious texts around the time of January 6, 2021

‘Your bank must be transparent with and reassure us, its shareholders and others that it will not continue to de-bank customers for their speech or religious practice.’

The letter is co-signed by officials from Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, Texas and Utah.

“Religious beliefs are not a factor in any decision to close an account,” a Bank of America representative told DailyMail.com.

“We are proud to provide banking services to faith-based non-profit organizations across the United States.”

But the memo details several instances of apparent discrimination against Christian groups in which Bank of America canceled their accounts.

Specifically, the letter notes how the financial institution de-banked the Christian ministry groups Timothy Two Project International, Indigenous Advance and the Memphis, Tennessee-based Church Servants of Christ.

Kobach writes that the Timothy Two Project had its account canceled by Bank of America for ‘operating a type of business we have chosen not to serve’.

He also wrote how Indigenous Advance similarly had his account canceled because the bank claims it ‘no longer matches the bank’s risk tolerance’.

However, Bank of America told DailyMail.com that Indigenous Advance does business in Uganda and that the bank does not ‘serve small businesses operating outside the US’.

Servants of Christ had its account canceled because it “was the wrong ‘type of business,'” the Kansas Attorney General wrote.

Kobach added that de-banking by Bank of America could be illegal.

“Bank of America exposes itself to numerous legal risks by engaging in de-banking,” the letter said.

“It opens itself up to potential legal liability under consumer protection and anti-discrimination laws and creates significant regulatory and policy risks from states already taking steps to stop bank swings.”

“Financial institutions set the stage for politicized de-banking by adopting vague and subjective ‘reputational risk’ policies and bans on ‘hate’ that are susceptible to abuse.”

The letter comes as the House Select Subcommittee for Weaponization of the Federal Government has been investigating several institutions’ relationships with federal officials.

It was previously revealed that transactions at Bass Pro Shops and Dick’s Sporting Goods around the time of the January 6 Capitol protests could be indicators of ‘extremism’, according to a US Treasury memo circulated to banks.

Crowdfunding sites GoFundMe and Eventbrite have both also been the subject of House investigations.

The committee’s investigations continue.

Currently, Bank of America is the second largest bank in the United States, handling over $3 trillion.

Although federal officials did not force financial institutions to turn over their customers’ private transaction data, Bank of America voluntarily provided it

“You appear to be using this power to punish conservative and religious customers by handing over their data to federal law enforcement and even canceling their accounts,” Kobach writes.

“This not only undermines free speech and religious freedom, but is also potentially illegal and could lead to investigations, lawsuits, regulation and political backlash.”

The Attorneys General requests a response from Bank of America within 30 days of receiving the letter.

It is expected to be sent to the bank on Tuesday.