The Treasury Department's Office of Intelligence and Analysis (OIA) has repeatedly violated domestic surveillance laws by viewing and storing private American citizens' financial activity and data, government officials told BuzzFeed News. The actions, which had been going on under former President Barack Obama, have apparently continued under Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Sigal Mandelker.
The Treasury Department is allegedly accessing info that is handed over by banks at the end of each day to a database maintained by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), which uses the data to watch for activities like money laundering or terrorist operations. The OIA, on the other hand, is tasked with watching for financial crimes outside the U.S., as dictated by a Reagan-era law that limits federal agencies' ability to surveil American citizens. "This is domestic spying," emphasized one senior Treasury official.
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