Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) recently sent letters to the Biden administration questioning why the Treasury Department’s top financial terrorism unit allegedly coordinated with banks and credit card companies to conduct warrantless key term searches of people’s transactions.
Anyone who searched for terms such as “MAGA” or “Trump,” shopped at stores such as Cabela’s or Dick’s Sporting Goods, or purchased religious goods such as Bibles was possibly flagged by their banks and credit card companies. Personal information was allegedly turned over to the federal government. These searches reportedly took place without a court order and in violation of everyone’s civil liberty. Simply put, it appears that banks and credit card companies, at the request of the Treasury Department, spied on the public.
We’ve seen the federal government bully conservatives before. Former President Barack Obama used the IRS to silence critics. President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice has targeted parents at school board meetings. Homeland Security coordinated with tech firms to suppress conservative speech. Now we learn that the Treasury Department is allegedly tracking the financial lives of “wrong-thinking” people.
The question that we need to ask is: How could our financial companies fail to say “no” to warrantless state surveillance of the private financial information of citizens? Processes should have protected customers from any such requests from the Treasury. Why were searches of customer data allegedly agreed to and the records of over 200 U.S. citizens sent to the FBI?
Given the established intolerance of the academic and corporate Left, it should surprise no one that these financial institutions may have agreed to round up data on “deplorables” such as conservatives and Christians. This apparent eagerness to comb through the records of customers on behalf of the federal government is unsurprising but wrong.
Imagine the corporate and legacy media outrage if the Treasury had done keyword searches targeting leftists, Ivy League college presidents, or other “good” people.
Facts matter here. Corporate America supports and gives billions to the Left. Review their investments and charitable giving. Look at their values, their actions, and their commercials. These corporate leaders are steeped in an ideology that predisposes them to view half the country as suspicious.
Yet that blindness makes them vulnerable. Without much organization or media support, we have seen three huge conservative national boycotts in the last two years. Top corporations have seen their products boycotted, stocks drop, and reputations damaged by their embrace of wokeness.
While these efforts have had considerable impact, boycotts alone are not enough.
Fortunately, conservatives now have more choices than boycotts to voice their outrage. Putting the profit motive to work, America is seeing the birth of the parallel economy, a patriotic conservative marketplace that delivers world-class products for customers who want to align their values with their commerce.
I am the CEO of Coign, a credit card company for conservatives. We are at the forefront of organizing conservative commerce and growing center-right voices in corporate America. These voices are demanding that “the other half” of America be represented and respected. This economic ideological innovation is starting to have an impact. In our first year, Coign donated more to conservative charities than the top 10 credit card companies combined.
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But Coign is not alone. Millions of dollars are flowing into hundreds of financial, technology, and media companies that are responding to the demand for conservative products and values. These conservative companies are delivering great products, building communities, and challenging the dominance of liberal corporate America. The growth of the parallel economy allows conservatives to go beyond boycotts by using the power of our collective commerce to change America. Corporate leaders should be on notice that “going woke” will no longer be easy or good for business.
Conservative companies are a beacon for millions of people who want to level the playing field and have the power to choose how their money is spent. This conservative parallel economy is reestablishing our protections and voice in society. Our goal is responsible commerce that defends everyone’s God-given rights, protects our freedoms, and demands the best from our republic.
Rob Collins is the CEO and founder of Coign, America’s only credit card for conservatives.