The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) released a 47‑page report on Oct. 14 detailing how JPMorgan Chase’s payment processor, WePay, used an internal system to screen merchant accounts for political and religious language. The review, which covered the nine largest national banks from 2020 through September 2025, found that terms such as “MAGA,” “Make America Great,” and “America First” were flagged before accounts were escalated for further review.

Findings on Political Merchandise

The OCC documented that WePay closed a merchant account in February 2021 that sold Trump‑related merchandise after determining the items promoted hate, violence, or racial intolerance. A later closure in September 2021 targeted a seller of “conservative/republican” apparel, including a “Trump‑Won” flag and a “Biden‑Illegitimate” T‑shirt.

Religious and Faith‑Based Accounts

WePay also terminated accounts belonging to organizations described internally as a “right‑wing religious conservative” nonprofit and a group supporting a “devout Christian” legal challenge. Employees cited elevated reputation risk based on customers’ religious or social views.

CFPB Joins the Investigation

Following the OCC’s findings, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced it will investigate whether the banks violated the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and other consumer‑financial statutes. Acting CFPB Director Mark Paoletta said the agency will fully examine compliance and take appropriate action.

Industry Response

The banking industry, represented by the Bank Policy Institute, emphasized the need for objective risk management while calling for clearer, consistent standards that protect access to financial services. The OCC has already removed reputation‑risk considerations from its supervisory framework and may pursue further regulatory changes.

Impact on Small Businesses

The report highlighted real financial consequences for smaller firms, noting a denied small‑business loan for a sporting‑rifle component manufacturer contrasted with a multimillion‑dollar letter of credit approved for a large multinational firearms company.

While the OCC did not quantify the total number of affected customers or estimate financial losses, the findings underscore ongoing concerns about political and religious bias in banking practices and set the stage for potential enforcement actions by the CFPB.

Original reporting: The Dallas Express — read the source article.