The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has initiated an investigation into Representative Cori Bush, a Democrat from Missouri and member of the progressive "Squad," over allegations of misuse of federal funds designated for security purposes, according to two sources who spoke to Fox News.
The investigation is centered around claims that federal security funds were misappropriated, the sources disclosed. An announcement of a subpoena was made on the House floor on Monday, which sources have linked to the ongoing investigation into Representative Bush.
The Department of Justice has refrained from commenting on the matter. Fox News reached out to Representative Bush's office for a statement, but there was no immediate response.
A message was read out by a House clerk on Monday, informing Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, that the House Sergeant at Arms, William McFarland, had received a grand jury subpoena for documents from the Department of Justice. McFarland confirmed that his office would comply with the subpoena, although no further details were provided.
Social media was rife with speculation about the nature of the DOJ investigation, with some suggesting a connection to the events of January 6. However, sources later indicated that the probe was focused on Representative Bush.
It is worth noting that Bush has reportedly spent over half a million dollars on private security, despite her public support for the defunding of the police. PunchBowl News was the first to report that the Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into Bush, in connection with the subpoena issued to the House Sergeant at Arms.
Bush's husband and former security guard, Cortney Merritts, whom she married in February 2023, has reportedly received over $100,000 in payments since being added to her campaign's payroll in January 2022. These payments were initially labeled as "security" payments, before being reclassified as "wage expenses" in April, as previously reported by Fox News Digital.
In March 2023, Bush faced two Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaints over security payments made to her husband. The Committee to Defeat the President, an anti-Biden super PAC, lodged one complaint, alleging that Bush had violated federal campaign finance laws by paying Merritts $60,000 for security services in 2022. It was noted that Merritts does not hold a license to perform security functions in the congresswoman's district.
Bush's campaign also paid $225,281 to the St. Louis-based PEACE Security firm for personal protection throughout 2022. Bush and Merritts have been in a relationship since before her congressional tenure began in 2021, according to a press release from her office.
The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), a watchdog group, filed a second complaint, requesting the FEC to investigate whether Bush had used campaign funds for personal use, citing the $60,000 payment in 2022 for security services provided to Merritts.
Kendra Arnold, FACT's executive director, wrote in the complaint, "It appears Rep. Bushs campaign may have made payments for services that were unnecessary or above fair market value because of her personal relationship with the payee." She added that if this were the case, these payments could be classified as either impermissible payments to a family member or an impermissible gift.
The complaint concluded with a request for the FEC to investigate whether Bush had converted campaign funds for personal use by paying a salary that was not for bona fide services at fair market value. It also called for the FEC to hold the respondents accountable if any campaign laws were found to have been violated.
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