Louisiana AG Jeff Landry Warns Credit Card Companies and Banks About Tracking Firearm Purchases

Recently, news reports stated New York democrats bullied credit card companies to create a new sales code for firearms and ammunition.  Previously, firearms were classified under the broader category of "General Merchandise" or "Sporting Goods".  But with the new firearm specific code, officials would be able to track private purchases of guns and firearms.  This created a concern that the federal government is creating a master list of gun owners across the country.

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Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry has joined with 19 other Attorneys General and are alerting chief executive officers of the three major credit card companies that the creation of the Merchant Category Code processing firearms purchases is potentially a violation of consumer protection and antitrust laws.

“It’s extremely disappointing to see credit card companies cave to pressure from international bodies and adopt this measure that will do nothing to improve public safety,” said Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen. “Instead, it invites potential future invasions of consumer privacy and further coordination between corporations and government agencies to erode Americans’ fundamental right to keep and bear arms.”

“Press releases from public officials make clear that the new merchant code was created and adopted in concert with various state actors, which may additionally create the potential for both civil and criminal liability for conspiracy to deprive Americans of their civil rights,” wrote Attorney General Landry and the coalition. “Social policy should be debated and determined within our political institutions. Americans are tired of seeing corporate leverage used to advance political goals that cannot muster basic democratic support. The Second Amendment is a fundamental right, but it’s also a fundamental American value. Our financial institutions should stop lending their market power to those who wish to attack that value.”

In his letter, joined by Attorneys General from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wyoming, and West Virginia, Landry stated that:

the monitoring and tracking of firearms purchases creates a “list of gun buyers” and creates the obvious risk that law-abiding consumers’ information will be obtained and misused by those who oppose Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights.

You can read Landry's entire letter at agjefflandry.com/Article/13070.