In their efforts to exert influence over the U.S. banking system, President Donald Trump and his two oldest sons have baselessly accused various banks of shutting down their accounts for political reasons after Jan. 6.

Trump has promoted this unfounded allegation while casting himself as a victim, a claim MS NOW’s Stephanie Ruhle helped debunk earlier this year when she laid waste to Trump’s lawsuit against JPMorgan. And some Republican state attorneys general — such as Florida’s James Uthmeier, for example — have pursued separate investigations into similarly baseless allegations.

But Capital One essentially threw down the gauntlet on Friday in a legal filing alleging that the actual reason for the closed accounts was a concern about potential money laundering.

As Reuters reported:

Capital One Financial hit back on Friday against a lawsuit over its decision to close the Trump Organization’s bank accounts years ago, stating that it did so after a review by anti-money laundering experts.

The disclosure marks the first time a bank has formally tied money laundering concerns to U.S. President Donald Trump’s family business. Capital One is seeking to dismiss the case by casting doubt on claims of illegally debanking — or denying services on religious or political grounds — the Trump Organization.

Reuters said the Trump Organization and Capital One didn’t immediately respond to its requests for comment.

The report continued:

Ja’han Jones

Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.