US Representative Cori Bush (D-MO) has confirmed via a statement on X (formerly Twitter) that she is under investigation by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) over possible misuse of campaign funds. Reports from October 2022 alleged that Bush spent high levels funds on personal security measures. The controversy around these expenditures heightened when Bush was scrutinized for using campaign funds to pay for private security services. The allegations escalated further after it came to light that she had married her private security guard, Cortney Merritts.
These complaints have led to the launch of investigations by the DOJ, the Federal Election Commission (FEC), and the House Committee of Ethics. In response to the allegations, Bush has stated that they are “baseless” and “frivolous” and affirms her compliance with all applicable laws and House rules. In her statement, 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. 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.”
According to Bush, she and her office are fully cooperating with all investigations. She also made reference to a September 2023 finding by the Office of Congressional Ethics, which unanimously dismissed a case against her, based on similar charges, after finding “no wrongdoing”. This investigation was instigated by a March 2023 letter from the ethics watchdog Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), which alleged that Bush had “used campaign funds for personal use, a violation of federal law.”
At the time of this article, the DOJ has not released an official statement in response to Bush’s post on X and it remains uncertain as to how long the investigation into these allegations will continue. For more details about the story, you can read the full article here.