November 2013." On March 10, 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a civil and criminal settlement with Commerce West Bank, located in Irvine, California for its role in facilitating a third party processor's millions of dollars worth of unauthorized debits from consumer bank accounts. From the Dept. of Justice press release: Reaction "Various other federal agencies" also comply with this. Frank Keating of the American Bankers Association complained that Choke Point was "asking banks to identify customers" who are "simply doing something government officials don't like. Banks then 'choke off' those customers' access to financial services, shutting down their accounts." In August 2014, U.S. Representative Blaine Luetkemeyer introduced a bill that would limit law enforcement's ability to restrict access to the banking system as a response against Operation Choke Point. On April 8, 2014, the House Financial Services Committee held a hearing with the general counsels of the federal banking agencies regarding, among other things, Operation Choke Point. Committee members from both parties argued that Operation Choke Point was hurting lawful non-bank financial service providers by pressuring to eliminate access to the banking system and, in turn, the businesses were unable to offer services to constituents. The FDIC's Richard Osterman repeatedly asserted that Operation Choke Point is a Justice Department operation and the FDIC's participation was limited to providing information and guidance upon request. Mr. Osterman also asserted that the FDIC was not attempting to prohibit banks from offering products or services to non-bank financial service providers operating within the law. Similarly, Amy Friend, of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), stated that the OCC wants to ensure that banks conduct "due diligence and implement appropriate controls", but that the OCC is not prohibiting banks from offering services to lawful businesses. Criticism Critics of the operation accused it of bypassing due process arguing that the government was pressuring the financial industry to cut off companies' access to banking services including access to capital, without first having shown that the targeted companies are violating the law. Critics also argued that it was "thinly veiled ideological attack on industries the Obama administration doesn't like, such as gun sellers and coal producers." On May 29, 2014, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform published a highly critical staff report that concluded: On November 21, 2014, William Isaac, the former Chairman of the FDIC from 1981