U.S. investigating congresswoman

Missouri’s Bush acknowledges campaign-spending scrutiny

ST. LOUIS — Rep. Cori Bush confirmed Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating her campaign’s spending on security services.

In a statement, Bush said she was “fully cooperating” with investigators.

The statement came after reports by the New York Times and other news outlets that said the Justice Department had subpoenaed records from her congressional office.

Bush’s spending on security services — a topic previously reported on by the Post-Dispatch — has been the subject of several ethics complaints.

Labeling those allegations as “baseless” and “frivolous,” the St. Louis Democrat said the issue has been created by “right-wing organizations” who want to see her defeated.

The spending by Bush on security has been substantial in her first three years in office, according to her campaign reports.

Campaign money and congressional office funds are separate accounts: Office funds are taxpayer dollars, while campaign donations are made by contributors.

Since taking office three years ago, Bush’s campaign has spent more than $710,000 on her personal security, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

The reports cover from the beginning of Bush’s service in Congress, in January 2021, through September 2023. Campaign reports for the final quarter of 2023 are due today.

In her three years in Congress, Bush has drawn criticism for the amount of money she spends on private security while also being one of the most vocal advocates for a movement to defund the police.

After Bush had been in office for one year, news website Axios showed Bush as having spent more than any other U.S. House member for the 2021 year.

The largest share of Bush’s campaign allocations for security, $380,615, has gone to Peace Security, a St. Louis firm that began showing up in her campaign reports in mid-2021.

Her bodyguard, Nathaniel Davis, who has often been shown at her side at public events, has been paid $137,500 in Bush’s three years in office.

Another security company, RS&T Security Consulting, has been paid $73,806. Her campaign also has paid $17,500 to Joseph Walter and $5,000 to All-American Protective Consultants.

Then there are the payments to Cortney Merritts III, Bush’s husband. He has been paid more than $104,000 since he began working for her campaign in 2022.

His duties originally were listed as “security services,” and remained classified that way after they were married. But then in mid-2023, payments to Merritts were reclassified as “wage expenses.”

Her spending on security, specifically using Merritts in that role, has generated two specific allegations against the Bush campaign: converting campaign funds to personal use; and fraudulently reporting a false purpose for campaign disbursements.

Both complaints noted that Merritts does not appear to have a private security guard license in either Washington or Missouri.

FEC rules do not prohibit employing family members, as long as the relative provides a bona fide campaign service and is paid a fair market value.

On top of questions about her spending from the campaign account, Bush’s latest FEC report showed that her campaign is about $130,000 in debt, with less than $20,000 cash on hand.

And that’s not all of the turbulence surrounding Bush’s campaign.

In late October, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell surprised some political observers by withdrawing from a race for the U.S. Senate to oppose Bush in the August 2024 primary for the congressional seat.

On Tuesday, Bell said a Justice Department “investigation into the potential misuse of public funds is a serious matter.”

“As a prosecutor, I understand that Rep. Bush is entitled to due process. It is my hope that Rep. Bush will cooperate fully with the investigation and be transparent with the public in responding to the legitimate concerns they are likely to have,” Bell said in a statement.

“I entered this race because I believe the people of this district deserve a representative they can trust,” Bell said. “I feel more strongly about that now more than ever.”

Bell’s switch to oppose Bush came on the heels of Bush’s embrace of a pro-Palestine stance after the Oct. 7 on Israeli civilians by terrorist group Hamas.

Pro-Israel lobbying groups reportedly have set aside millions of dollars to defeat Bush and several other members of Congress who do not support Israel.