US Representative Cori Bush (D-MO) released a statement on X (formerly Twitter) Tuesday confirming that she is currently under investigation by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) over the potential misuse of campaign funds.
In October 2022, reports alleged Bush spent high levels funds on personal security measures. More recently, this spending has caused increased controversy as Bush has come under fire with allegations that she misused her campaign funds to pay for private security services. These allegations were heightened last year after she married her private security guard Cortney Merritts. Now, Bush confirms that the DOJ, the Federal Election Commission (FEC), and the House Committee of Ethics have all launched investigations into her spending based on these claims.
In her response, however, Bush stated that the allegations are “baseless” and “frivolous.” 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.
Bush stated that she and her office are fully cooperating with all of the investigations. Bush also referred to a September 2023 finding from the Office of Congressional Ethics, which found “no wrongdoing and voted unanimously to dismiss” the case against her based on similar charges. That investigation began with a March 2023 letter from the conservative ethics watchdog Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), which alleged Bush “used campaign funds for personal use, a violation of federal law.”
The DOJ has not released an official statement in response to Bush’s X post at the time of this article. It is unclear how long the investigation is expected to last.
