opinion
The Department of Justice has initiated a criminal investigation into Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) centered around allegations of misuse of federal security funds.
Political Insider had previously reported that Bush's husband, Courtney Merritts, was paid more than $100,000 for security services.
Bush married Merritts, a former Army soldier who provides security services, last February, and kept him on the campaign payroll, according to the St. Louis Dispatch. This move sparked several complaints with the Federal Election Commission.
The Justice Department's criminal investigation was first revealed when the department issued a subpoena to the House Sergeant at Arms “for records relating to the misspending of federal security funds.”
The obvious first choice as a target was Bush, whose security spending was far higher than that of any member of the Squad, nearly three times that of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News later confirmed it was the target.
RELATED: Watch: Cori Bush's husband faces role after campaign pays him tens of thousands for 'security'
Bush confirms that it is under investigation by the Department of Justice
After initially refusing to comment on the investigation with a Punchbowl News reporter because “toothache“, Bush finally came clean in a press conference.
Reading a statement from her cell phone, Bush asserts that “right-wing organizations” are behind the Justice Department's investigation.
“I can confirm that the Department of Justice is reviewing my campaign’s security spending,” she said. “We are fully cooperating in this investigation, and I would like to take this opportunity to clarify the facts and the truth.”
Cori Bush cries 'conservative swoop' after Justice Department launches investigation into illegal use of federal tax dollars for personal security purposes:
“Any reports that I used funds for personal security purposes are simply false… Right-wing organizations have filed baseless complaints against me.” pic.twitter.com/mthNWbeYbv
– Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 30, 2024
“In recent months, right-wing organizations have filed baseless complaints against me and promoted notions that I misused campaign funds to pay for personal security services,” Bush continued. “This is simply not true.”
Bush then mentioned these “right-wing organizations” again, concluding that they “will not stop politicking and continuing efforts to attack me and the work that the people of St. Louis sent me to Congress to do.”
RELATED: Anti-Police 'Squad' Member Cori Bush Paid Hundreds of Thousands to Pro-Second Amendment Security Firm
A husband faces his role after the campaign paid him tens of thousands for “security”
Bush's identification of “right-wing organizations” is interesting given Federal Election Commission records that showed her campaign distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to a private security firm known as “Peace Security” based in St. Louis. The company has been reported as a right-wing private security firm promoting the Second Amendment.
It's also worth noting that the famously anti-gun Democrat is now on the Justice Department's radar due to her obsession with hiring security and apparently funneling campaign funds to her husband to carry out those services.
Merritts confronted a Fox News reporter a few months ago and initially denied any role in the Bush campaign.
Merritts was listed in documents as receiving “guarantee” payments before the description later shifted to “wage expenses,” potentially raising more red flags about campaign spending.
Bush claimed that she needed extra security because her value, as a member of Congress, was greater than that of the average citizen.
“I have private security because my body deserves to be on this planet,” she said in an interview with CBS News, later adding that her safety meant “I have to be here (in Congress) doing this work.”
Bush also went on a notable rant suggesting that criticizing her apparent hypocrisy means you want to see her die.
“Would they rather I die?” I wondered. “Would you rather I die? Is this what you want to see?”
Democratic Representative Cori Bush (2021):
I need private security but the police need to be defunded so suck it up
They think their lives are more important pic.twitter.com/o7itcvyGUk
– End of Wokeness (@EndWokeness) October 3, 2023
“So, suck it up,” Bush told viewers.
Now, it appears that Bush will have to accept the subpoena and the Justice Department's investigation.
As the Missouri Democrat noted in her statement, she was unanimously cleared by the Office of Congressional Ethics in connection with one complaint related to payments to her husband.
It seems unlikely that the Justice Department under Joe Biden would act solely on complaints from “right-wing organizations” although it declined to comment on the matter as of this post.
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