Representative Cori Bush is coming under fire after the recent release of campaign records showing where the money went.
According to the documents, which Fox News reviewed, she spent quite a bit of money on private security services. The person providing the services was her husband.
Fox News reports, The Missouri Democrats committee pushed $12,500 to her spouse, Cortney Merritts, between January and the end of March, according to her campaigns newly released filings. During this time, the Squad member also moved $26,000 to the St. Louis-based PEACE Security, which hires several security operators with military or law enforcement experience, despite her opposition to them, their website states.
Since 2019, Bush has spent nearly half a million dollars on personal security, with a large percentage of that money going to PEACE. According to Bush, she has a higher need for security because there are threats to her life.
Bush and her spouse Merritts, were married in February. However, according to Bush, the couple were together before she took her place in office in 2021. Then, in 2022, Merritts was added to the campaign payroll and received $50,000 in security payments. Simultaneously, the campaign was also paying another firm for private security.
According to Fox News, And despite the security payments, Merritts did not have a private security license as of late February, Fox News Digital reported. Individuals must have a permit to perform security functions in St. Louis and its neighboring St. Louis County, which encompasses Bushs entire congressional District. Merritts also doesnt appear in the database of licensed security professionals for Washington, DC.
Fox initially published content regarding this information in 2021, which quickly led to CBS picking up the story as well. CBS wanted to know if she felt it was hypocritical to hire the security detail while simultaneously saying we should defund the police. According to Fox News, They would rather I die? Bush asked. You would rather me die? Is that what you want to see? Do you want to see me die? You know, because that could be the alternative. When she hired two deputies to include in the security detail, she still advocated defunding the police even though she made it clear that she needed them for her safety.
The campaign has yet to respond to any news outlet regarding her payments to her new husband.
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