20 states to Treasury Department: Stop opposing state efforts to prevent discriminatory de-banking

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel and Senior Vice President of Corporate Engagement Jeremy Tedesco regarding a multi-state letter led by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody which counters U.S. Department of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s recent mischaracterizations of state legislation protecting citizens from viewpoint-based discrimination in banking.

“No one should be denied access to basic financial services because of their political or religious beliefs. That’s why federal and state governments have already enacted numerous anti-discrimination laws for financial services. But we are seeing a rising trend in politicized de-banking. States like Florida and Tennessee have done the right thing by enacting legally sound protections that ensure their citizens are not de-banked based on their political or religious views. Sadly, the U.S. Department of Treasury is openly opposing these efforts—even going so far as to misrepresent the scope and reach of the laws. Rather than carrying the water for big banks that have a disturbing track record of de-banking customers for their political or religious views, the department should focus on addressing its own complicity in this discriminatory practice which was revealed by a congressional committee earlier this year. The federal government’s collusion with Big Banks to surveil customer’s private financial data is the real threat to our First Amendment freedoms.”

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.

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