The Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into allegations that Representative Cori Bush (D., Mo.) misspent campaign funds on security services provided by her husband at an inflated rate, the congresswoman announced on Tuesday.
“First and foremost, I hold myself, my campaign, and my position to the highest level of integrity,” Bush said in a statement. “I also believe in transparency which is why I can confirm that the Department of Justice is reviewing my campaign’s spending on security services.”
Bush said she is “fully cooperating” with authorities.
As part of the investigation, the DOJ subpoenaed the House Sergeant at Arms for records related to the alleged misspending, Punchbowl News first reported.
The DOJ declined to comment when reached by National Review.
The news comes after the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission in March 2023 asking the agency to investigate whether Bush “used campaign funds for personal use” when she spent $60,000 in 2022 for security services provided by Cortney Merritts, whom she married in February 2023.
“It appears Rep. Bush’s campaign may have made payments for services that were unnecessary or above fair market value because of her personal relationship with the payee,” FACT executive director Kendra Arnold wrote in the complaint. “If so, these payments would qualify as either impermissible payments to a family member or an impermissible gift.
“Therefore, we request the FEC investigate whether Rep. Bush converted campaign funds for personal use by paying a salary that was not for bona fide services at fair market value,” FACT wrote at the time. “Ultimately, if one or more campaign laws are found to have been broken, we request the FEC hold the respondents accountable.”
Bush, a member of the progressive Squad who has called to defund the police, has hypocritically spent more than $500,000 on private security. Her campaign made 24 payments to her future husband of $2,500 for security services in 2022. That same year, the campaign also paid more than $225,000 to PEACE Security and another $50,000 to security guard Nathaniel Davis.
“I’m going to make sure I have security because I know I have had attempts on my life and I have too much work to do,” Bush told CBS News in August 2021. “So, suck it up, defunding the police has to happen. We need to defund the police and put that money into social safety nets because we’re trying to save lives.”
On Tuesday, Bush said she has “endured relentless threats to my physical safety and life.”
“As a rank-and-file member of Congress I am not entitled to personal protection by the House, and instead have used campaign funds as permissible to retain security services. I have not used any federal tax dollars for personal security services,” she said.
“In recent months, right-wing organizations have lodged baseless complaints against me, peddling notions that I have misused campaign funds to pay for personal security services,” Bush added. That is simply not true. I have complied with all applicable laws and House rules — and will continue to prioritize the rules that govern us as federal elected officials.”
She went on to acknowledge the allegations surrounding the hiring of her husband as a security guard.
“In accordance with all applicable rules, I retained my husband as part of my security team to provide security services because he has had extensive experience in this area, and is able to provide the necessary services at or below a fair market rate,” she said.