Capital One Says It Closed Trump Organization Accounts Over Anti-Money Laundering Concerns in Court Filing
Capital One Financial pushed back Friday against a lawsuit challenging its decision to close the Trump Organization's bank accounts years ago, stating in a new court filing that the closures followed a formal review by the bank's anti-money laundering experts.
The disclosure marks the first time a bank has formally tied money laundering concerns to a business closure involving President Donald Trump's family company. Capital One is seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed by casting doubt on claims that it illegally debanked the Trump Organization, a term referring to the denial of banking services on religious or political grounds.
Capital One has not accused the Trump Organization of engaging in illegal money laundering. Instead, Friday's filing argues that the underlying documents and the plaintiffs' own allegations demonstrate the accounts were closed for legitimate anti-money laundering reasons. "Documents and Plaintiffs' own allegations make clear that Capital One closed Plaintiffs' accounts for anti-money laundering ('AML') reasons," the filing said. "The closures were the result of months of analysis and a careful review by Capital One's AML team in accordance with bank policies and regulatory guidance."
Capital One first notified the Trump Organization of its plan........
