Attorney General Jason Miyares has partnered with U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon to form the Eastern District of Virginia Equal Access to Banking Task Force. This initiative aims to address “debanking,” where banks deny customers access to financial services based on factors that are not permissible under federal and state law.
The task force will investigate such allegations within Virginia, potentially seeking civil relief against banking institutions if necessary. It includes officials from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, and the Office of the Attorney General for Virginia.
The group plans to collaborate with federal financial regulatory agencies to combat unlawful debanking systematically. U.S. Attorney Siebert and Assistant Attorney General Dhillon intend to unite regulatory partners in this effort.
Virginians who believe they have been subjected to inappropriate debanking practices are encouraged to file complaints directly with the task force via email. Complaints from other areas can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s complaint portal. The task force will evaluate these allegations for potential violations warranting enforcement action, referring cases for civil or criminal prosecution as needed.
A copy of this press release is available on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
