Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and 14 other state attorneys general are calling for information from Bank of America over its policies and practices governing accounts. Kobach and the other prosecutors are accusing Bank of America of discriminatory practices against conservatives.
In a press release, Kobach said “Bank of America has consistently discriminated against groups for political and religious reasons. The nation’s second largest bank has denied services to gun manufacturers, fossil fuel producers and contractors for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It also canceled the accounts of Christian ministry groups, saying that one such group that trains pastors is “operating a business type we have chosen not to service.” He is also accusing the bank of cooperating with the FBI and U.S. Treasury to profile conservative and religious Americans as potential domestic terrorists.
Kobach said the bank’s practices are exposing it and its shareholders to legal liability under consumer protection and anti-discrimination laws. He and the other attorneys general are calling for a written report from Bank of America, along with an update for its terms of service to state that it doesn’t discriminate against customers for their religious or political views or speech. He’s also calling on the bank to remove prohibitions on “intolerance” and “hate” from its online banking service agreement.
The other officials who signed a letter to Bank of America include attorneys general from Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas.
There was no immediate comment from Bank of America officials on the letter.
