Report Claims Federal Government Flags Buyers Of Bibles, Guns As Possible Active Shooters

House Judiciary Committee Chair Republican Jim Jordan says the federal government is violating privacy rights by flagging transactions for things like bibles and guns. 

A report from Jordan’s committee says it’s part of a US Treasury program to flag possible active shooters.

The report says most businesses that were flagged are gun stores. 2A Shooting Center in Tulsa says it's essentially a gun registry.

People who shopped at sporting stores like Bass Pro Shops, or purchased religious texts, may have had their transactions flagged as possible active shooters or terrorists.

2A Shooting Center Training Director Robert Jerome says it’s a violation of privacy.

“The federal government should not have an idea of what I’m purchasing if I'm making legal purchases,” Jerome said. 

House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan says the US Department of Treasury distributed a list to financial institutions with search terms to identify transactions on behalf of federal law enforcement.

This includes terms like "TRUMP" and "MAGA" used in money transfers, the purchase of guns and ammo, or even a bible.

Attorney Robert Gifford says the Department of Treasury overstepped the law by urging financial institutions to scrutinize private transactions based on what he calls protected political and religious expressions.

“The banks have access to this information, but whether or not the banks should be disclosing this information is probably a question that's never been answered before,” Gifford said. 

Despite his concerns about constitutional violations, Jerome says the program won’t stop active shooters or terrorists. 

Most of the time if people go out and purchase firearms or ammunition and they're going to go out and do a mass shooting, it's usually that day.

Jerome says customers will likely start paying in cash to avoid the surveillance.

“That right there is exactly what will happen. People will then move to another means of purchasing firearms,” Gifford said. 

Jordan requested interviews with the Department of Treasury. 

It has until the end of the month to respond to the request.