US Treasury Admits Bible Purchasers Are Under Criminal Investigation

Federal Surveillance Program Targets Bible Buyers and First Amendment Transactions

In a stunning admission, the Biden administration has acknowledged that the names of individuals who purchase religious texts, including the Bible, are being collected and stored in a criminal database by the U.S. Department of Treasury.

This revelation came in a letter from the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FICen) to Christian Action Network (CAN), in response to a February 2024 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

The document confirms that the names are being gathered for "law enforcement purposes," but offers little clarity beyond that, stating further disclosure "could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings."

This bombshell revelation exposes a chilling escalation of government overreach, where ordinary Bible buyers are not just being tracked as if they were criminal suspects but are also subjects of an ongoing criminal investigation.

And it doesn’t stop there.

The scope of this surveillance extends beyond Bible purchases. Individuals who buy bus tickets, rent cars, or book plane tickets without stating a specific purpose, and even those who use phrases like “Trump” or “MAGA” in financial transactions, are also flagged and stored in the same criminal database.

The web of suspicion widens further to include gun buyers who shop at retailers such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Bass Pro Shop, or Cabela’s.

CAN sent the February FOIA request after a cryptic message from Rep. Jim Jordan on X (formerly Twitter) in January: “Did you shop at Bass Pro Shop yesterday or purchase a Bible? If so, the federal government may be watching you.”

Martin Mawyer, president of the Lynchburg, VA-based Christian Action Network, denounced the Bible surveillance program as a clear violation of the 1974 Privacy Act, which prohibits federal agencies from collecting or storing personal information about individuals exercising their First Amendment rights.

The 1974 Privacy Act states the federal government may “maintain no record describing how any individual exercises rights guaranteed by the First Amendment unless expressly authorized by statute or by the individual about whom the record is maintained or unless pertinent to and within the scope of an authorized law enforcement activity.” (5 U.S.C. § 552a(e)(7)

“There’s nothing ambiguous about this language. Under no circumstances can the feds collect the names of people exercising their right to purchase a Bible—unless, of course, it’s part of a law enforcement activity,” Mawyer said.

“And here’s what made our jaws drop—and surely the jaws of every right-thinking, religious American: how can buying a Bible possibly place you under federal criminal investigation?”

Despite the clear protections of the 1974 Privacy Act, CAN faced an agonizing wait for answers. First, it took two months for the Treasury Department to finally respond, but claimed it couldn’t provide any answers due to “unusual circumstances.”

More months passed by when finally, in August, CAN received a letter from FICen. That letter refused to give any further information about the program, citing concerns that it "could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings."

Mawyer was clear in his outrage: “Obviously, it’s not a crime to buy a Bible. But it is a crime, punishable by fines and imprisonment, for federal employees to violate the 1974 Privacy Act.”

CAN sought a meeting with the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Treasury to gain clarification on the program but has yet to receive a response. “This is a massive cover-up—an illegal cover-up. People should be going to jail for this,” said Mawyer.

Beyond the blatant violation of privacy, Mawyer noted that the federal government is also prohibited from passing or sharing this information with third parties. Yet, according to Rep. Jim Jordan, the government has set up a “secret portal” that allows over 650 companies—including major banks like Bank of America, Chase, and Wells Fargo—to access these names and work with federal law enforcement to flag so-called “extremism” indicators.

“This is illegal, plain and simple. Another glaring example of the weaponization of our federal government,” Mawyer said. “But here’s the ultimate crime: there’s nothing the average American can do about it. Absolutely nothing. And it’s incredibly frustrating.”

When CAN sought legal counsel to file a lawsuit against the Department of Treasury and FICen, they were informed they lacked “standing” to sue. Individuals or organizations must first demonstrate they’ve been personally harmed by the violation, meaning demonstrate a loss of money over being placed under criminal investigation.

“So first you have to show you been crushed by the federal government’s illegal activity before you can sue them for violating the law. This is nothing short of legal blackmail,” Mawyer said.

“Suing the United States Government isn’t cheap, and these federal employees know it,” he added. “They have no fear of violating a citizen’s legal and constitutional rights, knowing few people would be willing to cough up hundreds of thousands of dollars to protect those God-given, inalienable rights.”

Undeterred, CAN has already begun drafting a proposed amendment for the next session of Congress that would grant organizations like theirs legal standing to sue federal agencies that violate the 1974 Privacy Act.

"Washington targeting a grandmother for simply buying a Sunday Bible—and then illegally placing her under criminal investigation—should be an easy win for justice,” Mawyer said. “The fact that it’s not shows just how deeply this government has been weaponized and how far we’ve fallen into a state of corruption and overreach."

Martin Mawyer is president of the Christian Action Network, which he founded in 1990. Located in Lynchburg, VA, CAN was formed as a non-profit educational organization to protect America’s religious and moral heritage. He is the author of several books, including You Are Chosen: Prepare to Triumph in a Fallen World.