by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – Nine of America’s largest banks maintained policies that restricted financial services based on customers’ political beliefs, religious affiliations, or lawful business activities, according to a federal investigation released Wednesday by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).
The investigation, conducted under President Donald Trump’s executive order addressing politically motivated banking discrimination, examined nearly 100,000 complaints and approximately 50,000 bank documents totaling 420,000 pages.
The OCC found that all nine institutions maintained questionable policies between 2020 and September 2025, including during former President Joe Biden’s administration.
The banks investigated included JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citibank, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Capital One, PNC Bank, TD Bank, and BMO Bank.
Conservative and Religious Organizations Among Those Affected
Investigators uncovered cases involving conservative businesses, religious organizations, and politically affiliated groups.
In one February 2021 incident, a bank-owned payment processor terminated an account belonging to a merchant selling merchandise supporting Trump and the Make America Great Again movement.
Other policies restricted banking relationships with firearms manufacturers, fossil fuel companies, and businesses whose activities conflicted with institutional social policies.
The investigation also identified a February 2023 case involving an organization associated with Democratic political endorsements, demonstrating that politically sensitive banking decisions were not confined to conservative customers.
Comptroller Jonathan Gould declared that the findings demonstrated that major financial institutions had denied services to customers and lawful businesses.
The OCC concluded that subjective reputational-risk policies, rather than clearly defined financial criteria, had influenced banking decisions.
Trump Administration Considers Further Action
The findings follow Trump’s August 2025 executive order directing federal regulators to investigate politically motivated financial discrimination.
Major banks have denied deliberately discriminating against customers because of their political or religious beliefs, maintaining that account restrictions reflected regulatory compliance, financial exposure, and reputational concerns.
Although the OCC announced no immediate penalties, Gould warned that existing reforms may prove insufficient and that additional regulatory measures could follow.
The findings raise significant concerns for churches, Christian ministries, nonprofit organizations, and other religious institutions that depend on reliable access to banking services.
For faith-based organizations, the broader issue is whether lawful religious convictions or associations could become grounds for financial exclusion without an objective assessment of financial risk.
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