US DOJ closing bank accounts of lawful gun stores

[Nakura Chambers]

Mike Schuetz, the owner of Hawkins Guns LLC, a firearms store that sells both guns and ammunition, has audio tapes to support his claims.

The United States Consumer Coalition calls this just the latest example of the extralegal overreach of Operation Choke Point, the Obama administration’s effort to put industries it doesn’t like–especially gun dealers and pay day lenders–out of business.

Schuetz, a former state employee who worked as a probation and parole officer for eight years, is no wild-eyed Tea Partier. In fact, while he was a state employee he joined his fellow union members and picketed the Wisconsin State House to oppose Gov. Scott Walker’s decision to reduce the powers of public sector unions.

But Schuetz tells Breitbart News in an exclusive interview that since he left the employ of the state he started a private investigation company in 2012 and a gun dealership on November 8 of this year. And he actually voted for Walker in 2014. His trouble began when he opened the gun store.

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/big-governm...-bank-account/

Regardless of whether or not you support the Second Amendment or where you might stand in the debate, how can you justify this?

Oh and this isn't just an isolated incident: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/v...n-choke-point/

[Fexus]

So excluding Breitbart obviously, the WaPo article only seems to reference "Bizzy Blog" and "The Blaze" regarding gun store loans. I would like some better sources please.

[Tradewind]

Bank closes account, later says "our mistake"...blame the DOJ!

[Nakura Chambers]

Poor source, I admit. If it turns out to be true though, then this is a pretty serious violation by the Department of Justice.

[Tradewind]

Or it could just be a load of breitbarty/blazey/wapo bullshit.

[Rukentuts]

Yeah I don't trust Breibart to be giving me the full skinny.

[grimsanta]

Poor source, I admit. If it turns out to be true though, then this is a pretty serious violation by the Department of Justice.

I'm sure I could find all sorts of crappy information on the internet, but it doesn't mean I go and post it on a forum when I know that its crappy.

[Fexus]

Or it could just be a load of breitbarty/blazey/wapo bullshit.

Is "The Blaze" actually a thing people pay attention to? I've never heard of it until this thread.

[Rukentuts]

Is "The Blaze" actually a thing people pay attention to? I've never heard of it until this thread.

Some people really love Glenn Beck.

[Tradewind]

Is "The Blaze" actually a thing people pay attention to? I've never heard of it until this thread.

WaPo apparently uses it as a source...so that tells you all you need to know about WaPo...

[Fexus]

Some people really love Glenn Beck.

Ah that explains it.

[Lenonis]

I really don't understand why many conservatives run with these wildly and obviously inaccurate stories to go after Obama rather than any number of actual valid things that are going on.

I mean -- I get why the conservative politicians don't do it -- for the most part they support the same things (military, surveillance, big business bailouts and subsidies). But the posters on this forum and the pundits and other various sources for news and discussion should feel free to go after really valid criticizisms since I am assuming they aren't lobbied by special interests like our politicians.

And in case the posters or mods misinterpret -- I'm not slamming them or insulting conservatives. It's an honest question I don't get. I can make a same statement for why the liberals defend things that should be defended or don't attack conservatives for some issues that seem like really obvious winners.

It's just strange to me when these threads happen here.

[Citizen T]

Here is a different source about Operation Choke Point. http://usconsumers.org/issues/whatischokepoint/
There are actually many business activities that the Obama Justice Department is attempting to shutdown by threatening banks with additional costly administrative functions for dealing with these businesses.

A partial list of these business activities are: firearms and ammunition sales, pharmaceutical sales, coin dealers, telemarketing, tobacco sales, and short term loans.

[isuridedes]

Here is a different source about Operation Choke Point. http://usconsumers.org/issues/whatischokepoint/
There are actually many business activities that the Obama Justice Department is attempting to shutdown by threatening banks with additional costly administrative functions for dealing with these businesses.

A partial list of these business activities are: firearms and ammunition sales, pharmaceutical sales, coin dealers, telemarketing, tobacco sales, and short term loans.

And here's a link raising questions about the USCC, their donors, and their motives behind their campaign against Operation Choke Point

http://www.bizjournals.com/washingto....html?page=all

[Shadowmelded]

What if like... the DoJ is actually hiding Godzilla and funded the creation of it with taxpayer money????????

DoJ(apan)? It all lines up!

[Citizen T]

And here's a link raising questions about the USCC, their donors, and their motives behind their campaign against Operation Choke Point

http://www.bizjournals.com/washingto....html?page=all

OK, what does any of this have to do with the DOJ attempting to shut down legitimate business activity?

[Endus]

The DOJ is not closing accounts. Presenting that way is misleading and wrong.

Here's the Wikipedia for the DOJ Operation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Choke_Point

They're investigating banks and related services, and specifically the transactions they conduct with types of businesses that have a history of being used for money laundering and/or fraud.

The bank was in no way obliged to close the account. They chose to close the account, because they don't want to deal with the government investigation.

It doesn't have anything to do with pressuring companies the President "doesn't like"; dating services, coin dealers, money transfer networks, these are all on the list too.

It may not be the best way to go about this, but it isn't what the article claims. That's a business owner who didn't understand what the bank told him, projecting his political beliefs into the situation, because clearly Obama has to be to blame for the bank not wanting his business.

[Cosmic Janitor]

For some reason I'm actually kinda proud I have no clue what this is all about :P.

[Citizen T]

The DOJ is not closing accounts. Presenting that way is misleading and wrong.

Here's the Wikipedia for the DOJ Operation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Choke_Point

They're investigating banks and related services, and specifically the transactions they conduct with types of businesses that have a history of being used for money laundering and/or fraud.

The bank was in no way obliged to close the account. They chose to close the account, because they don't want to deal with the government investigation.

It doesn't have anything to do with pressuring companies the President "doesn't like"; dating services, coin dealers, money transfer networks, these are all on the list too.

It may not be the best way to go about this, but it isn't what the article claims. That's a business owner who didn't understand what the bank told him, projecting his political beliefs into the situation, because clearly Obama has to be to blame for the bank not wanting his business.

While the OP may have presented a biased opinion from the right, you're description is just as biased to the left. There have been many instances of allegations of this operation being used to punish business activities that the Obama admin disagree with such as firearms/ammunition sales.

There is a huge allegation cited even in your wiki article by the former head of the FDIC.
On November 21, 2014, William Isaac, the former Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) from 1981 to 1985, wrote a scathing opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal entitled "Don’t Like an Industry? Send a Message to Its Bankers: With Operation Choke Point, the Justice Department’s targets have included vendors of firearms and fireworks" stating that he believed that the agency acted in bad faith.[19]

Unfortunately the the WSJ article is behind a paywall.

[Zoldor]

What if like... the DoJ is actually hiding Godzilla and funded the creation of it with taxpayer money????????

I'd have respect for the DoJ at actually being able to hide Godzilla without an information leak.