April 22, 2024 - Fifteen state attorneys general are demanding to know whether Bank of America is closing accounts over customers’ religious and political views.

Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia, leads a 15-state Republican coalition alleging the banking giant has a history of “viewpoint-based debanking,” and has one of the worst rap sheets in the business for unbanking clients based on their religious or political stances.

The coalition is now demanding that Bank America produce a written report about its account policies and practices, and explicitly state that it doesn’t discriminate against people for their religious or political views or speech.

The AGs also want the bank to remove prohibitions on “intolerance” and “hate” from its online banking service agreement.

Says Miyares in a press release, “Bank of America’s blatant discrimination against account holders whose political and religious ideologies don’t align with its own is appalling and un-American. As Attorney General, I will protect the constitutional liberties of all Virginians… Bank of America should clean up its act or prepare to reckon with potential litigation.”

Joining Miyares in the coalition are AGs from Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Utah.

They reference several reports of debanking in recent years, including against gun manufacturing companies, coal mining firms, and contractors for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The letter also alleges that Bank of America is “indoctrinating” its employees with a divisive “racial reeducation program” that instructs employees to “decolonize [their] mind” and “cede power to people of color.”

Says the letter, “Bank of America is exposing itself to numerous legal risks by engaging in de-banking. It is opening itself up to potential legal liability under consumer protection and antidiscrimination laws, and creating substantial regulatory and political risk from states that are already taking action to stop debanking.”

The AGs request a response from Bank of America within thirty days.