Democrat Rep. Cori Bush’s use of campaign funds have come under scrutiny recently, leading to the filing of formal complaints with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), and the Department of Justice (DOJ). These allegations revolve around payments totaling $90,000 made to Cortney Merritts, Cori Bush’s husband and member of her security team. The controversy lies in the fact that Merritts is not licensed to provide such services in either Washington D.C. or St. Louis, where Bush’s primary activities take place.
The complaints against Bush present two possible scenarios. Either:
So, did #CrookedCori pay Merritts for work he cannot legally provide (an FEC violation + DC & St. Louis law) OR did he NOT provide the work reported (FEC violation) & they were just slipping him cash, because Democrats (FEC violation).
3/16
— Dan Backer (@DanBackerEsq) September 21, 2023
Adding fuel to the fire is the apparent discrepancy in Cori Bush’s FEC quarterly reports. While her April Q1 report listed the payments to Merritts as being for “Security Services,” the July Q2 report changed the description to “Wage Services.” Such vagueness raises additional red flags and could be considered another FEC violation.
Bush’s Legal Team Responds
Bush’s legal counsel sent out a strongly-worded letter responding to the complaints, asserting the falsity of the allegations nine times, yet without refuting any specific points. The letter also doubled down on the original claim that Merritts did provide security services, adding another layer of complexity.
Noteworthy Points in the Legal Response
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