A new House Judiciary Committee report reveals troubling allegations against the FBI, accusing the agency of manipulating the Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) system to access Americans' financial information without warrants. The report, obtained by Fox News Digital, claims the FBI is using financial institutions as "de facto arms of law enforcement," requesting information on individuals and activities they deem "suspicious" without proper legal process.

The committee argues that this practice circumvents the Bank Secrecy Act, which requires banks to file SARs only when they suspect a transaction relates to a potential legal violation. By prompting banks to flag individuals beforehand, the FBI allegedly gains access to sensitive data without meeting the Fourth Amendment's requirements for probable cause and particularity.

This alleged manipulation of the SAR system has raised serious concerns about the erosion of financial privacy and the extent of government surveillance. The report highlights the vulnerability of individuals in the modern digital economy, where financial transactions are extensively tracked and easily accessible to authorities.

The FBI responded to the allegations, stating that they operate within the law and never initiate investigations based solely on First Amendment activities. They emphasized that financial institutions are obligated to report suspicious activity under the Bank Secrecy Act, and the FBI merely acts upon the information received.

The committee's investigation stemmed from a whistleblower's disclosure that Bank of America provided the FBI with customer data following the January 6th Capitol riot. Earlier reports also revealed that federal investigators requested banks to search transactions using keywords like "MAGA" and "Trump," raising further concerns about politically motivated surveillance.

The report also suggests that the scope of these searches extended beyond the January 6th investigation, with no clear timeframes or limitations imposed on the banks. Furthermore, documents indicate that at least one financial institution actively encouraged the use of SARs for broader surveillance purposes, potentially involving the Patriot Act.

The House Judiciary Committee's report paints a concerning picture of potential government overreach, urging for stronger safeguards to protect Americans' financial privacy. They warn that without intervention, the current trajectory could lead to the erosion of financial privacy in the United States.