Rep. Cori Bush Facing Difficulties Says Report
Democratic Congresswoman Cori Bush, who represents Missouri’s First Congressional District, is facing criticism and a federal investigation over her campaign’s spending on security. The issue has arisen as she prepares to run for re-election in the August 2022 primary.
According to recent campaign filings, Bush’s committee has been struggling to keep afloat financially, with only $215,000 remaining in its coffers as of January. Her opponent, St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Wesley Bell, who has entered the race to challenge Bush in the Democratic primary, currently has a comfortable lead in terms of funding. Bell ended the fourth quarter of 2021 with $408,000 in the bank.
Bell’s campaign has received a significant boost in fundraising since he announced his candidacy against Bush. Between October and December 2021, his campaign raised $492,000, slightly outpacing Bush’s haul during the same period. He has also attracted the support of prominent Democratic donors, like Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, who gave the maximum allowed amount of $6,600 to Bell’s campaign for both the primary and general elections.
Along with financial troubles, Bush is also facing a potential credibility issue due to the federal investigation into her campaign’s payment for security services, including payments made to her husband, Cortney Merritts. The couple got married in February 2022, and according to Bush’s office, they were already together when she was elected to Congress in 2020.
Merritts started receiving payments for security services in January 2023, which Bush’s campaign later described as “wage expenses” in April 2023. To date, he has received a total of $120,000 from Bush’s campaign. While it is not uncommon for politicians to pay family members for services, it must be at fair market value. Additionally, Bush’s campaign has also spent over $770,000 on security services from a St. Louis-based company called PEACE Security.
Merritts’ online accounts suggest that he previously worked for a railway company before starting his own moving company. However, as of 2022, he did not have a private security license and was not listed in a database of licensed security specialists in Washington, D.C.
These payments to her husband have raised red flags, triggering complaints from watchdog groups. In March 2023, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, which is still pending. However, the Committee to Defeat the President filed a complaint with the ethics committee, alleging that Bush violated ethics rules by using campaign funds for personal security expenses. The ethics committee subsequently cleared Bush of any wrongdoing.
In response to the federal investigation, Bush has stated that she has received numerous death threats and has used campaign funds for security services since she is not entitled to personal protection by the House. She also noted that several investigations, including those by the Federal Election Commission, the House Committee on Ethics, and the Department of Justice, are currently ongoing, and she is fully cooperating with all of them.
Both Bush and Bell’s campaigns have not responded to requests for comments on these issues.
In light of these developments, a recent poll has shown that Bell has a significant lead over Bush in the upcoming primary. The poll found that Bell is up by 22 points, indicating that Bush’s campaign may be in trouble come August 2022.
Overall, Bush’s campaign is facing financial and reputational challenges, with her opponent Bell outpacing her in fundraising and leading in the polls. The federal investigation into her campaign’s security spending, including payments to her husband, adds another layer of scrutiny to her re-election campaign. Bush has denied any wrongdoing and is cooperating with the ongoing investigations. As the August primary approaches, it remains to be seen how these issues will affect Bush’s bid for re-election in Missouri’s First Congressional District.