Mike Lee Grills Loretta Lynch on Operation Choke Point

President Obama’s nominee for attorney general, Loretta Lynch, faced questions about the government’s controversial Operation Choke Point in her Senate testimony yesterday.

“I’m generally familiar with the name Operation Choke Point,” she told Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, about the Justice Department initiative.

“My general understanding of it is that it looks to target financial institutions that are involved in perpetrating frauds upon consumers,” said Lynch.

Operation Choke Point has been criticized for targeting legal businesses like firearms and ammunition sellers by intimidating the banks they use.

>>> Under Pressure From Congress, Agencies Agree to Investigate Operation Choke Point

Lynch told the senator that should she be confirmed, she would work with him to ensure that law-abiding Americans aren’t targeted by the initiative.

“I look forward to hearing your concerns and working with you on them,” she said.

Two weeks prior to her testimony, Sen. David Vitter, R-La., asked for a written response to concerns about Operation Choke Point earlier this month after meeting with Lynch on Jan. 7.

Vitter, also a member of the Judiciary Committee, has not yet received a response to those questions.

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