The husband of former U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, a Democrat from Missouri, has been indicted on charges of wire fraud for allegedly defrauding the federal government of $20,000 in pandemic relief funds, according to the Justice Department.
Federal prosecutors announced on Thursday that 46-year-old Cortney Merritts, a St. Louis resident, submitted false information about his alleged businesses to secure loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA) in 2020 and 2021.
Merritts now faces two counts of wire fraud, according to Fox News.
Merritts to Plead Not Guilty as Prosecutors Outline Fraudulent Loan Applications
Merritts’ lawyer, Justin Gelfand of Margulis Gelfand DiRuzzo & Lambson, issued a statement declaring that his client intends to plead not guilty to the charges.
“As with any indictment, this is only the government’s version of the story. We look forward to litigating this case in federal court in Washington, D.C.,” Gelfand stated.
According to prosecutors, Merritts repeatedly applied for business loans, misrepresenting both his company’s revenue and the number of employees he claimed to have.
One of Merritts’ loan applications, submitted in July 2020, was reportedly denied due to similarities to an earlier fraudulent application.
Cori Bush’s Campaign Payments to Husband Under Investigation
Merritts’ indictment follows a separate ethics investigation into Cori Bush’s campaign finances. In March 2023, a government watchdog group called for a Federal Elections Commission (FEC) probe into payments Bush’s campaign made to her husband.
Bush, a former member of the progressive “Squad”, lost her primary re-election bid in 2023 after backlash over her criticism of Israel’s response to Hamas’ October 7 attacks. The “Squad” is a group of far-left lawmakers, including:
✅ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)
✅ Ilhan Omar (D-MN)
✅ Ayanna Pressley (D-MA)
✅ Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)
Watchdog Group Raises Red Flags Over Cori Bush’s Security Payments
As far back as 2022, Bush’s campaign paid Merritts over $60,000 for security services—even though he lacked the necessary private security license required in St. Louis.
While Bush’s campaign spent $60,000 on Merritts, it also paid over $225,000 to PEACE Security and $50,000 to another private contractor, Nathaniel Davis, for personal protection.
The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) sent a formal complaint to the FEC in March 2023, calling for an investigation into whether Cori Bush illegally used campaign funds for personal gain.
“It appears Rep. Bush’s campaign may have made payments for services that were unnecessary or above fair market value because of her personal relationship with the payee,” FACT stated.
The FEC complaint argued that if these payments were not for bona fide security services, they would violate campaign finance laws and amount to improper gifts or misuse of campaign funds.
Cori Bush’s Husband Lacked Security License for Paid Services
Adding to the controversy, Merritts lacked the credentials to perform security services in St. Louis or anywhere in Bush’s district.
According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department:
“With the exception of St. Louis Police Officers, all persons performing a security function in the City of St. Louis must be licensed to do so through the Private Security Section.”
This raises further concerns about whether Bush’s campaign was improperly funneling money to her husband under false pretenses.
Democrats Under Fire for Allegations of Family Payouts
Cori Bush is not the only Democrat facing scrutiny over payments to family members. Other high-profile cases have raised similar ethical concerns.
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) has come under fire for paying her daughter, Karen Waters, over $1.2 million in campaign funds since 2004.
“Karen Waters pocketed $192,300 from her mother’s campaign to keep her ‘slate mailer’ operation afloat between Jan. 2021 and Dec. 2022,” a Fox News Digital review of FEC filings revealed.
Unlike Bush, however, Maxine Waters has largely avoided legal repercussions despite ongoing criticism.
Final Thoughts: Will Cori Bush Face Legal Consequences?
With both federal fraud charges against her husband and an FEC investigation into her campaign payments, Cori Bush faces mounting legal and ethical challenges.
As these investigations unfold, questions remain:
🔹 Will Merritts’ fraud case further expose potential corruption in Bush’s campaign?
🔹 Will Bush face legal action over improper campaign spending?
🔹 Will the FEC impose penalties on Democrats engaging in questionable financial practices?
For now, Bush and Merritts continue to deny any wrongdoing, but federal authorities are ramping up their scrutiny—and the case is far from over.