A watchdog group is calling for the Federal Election Commission to launch an investigation into Rep. Cori Bush regarding campaign payments made to her husband.
The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust sent an official complaint to the FEC requesting the commission to investigate “Rep. Cori Bush and her campaign committee may have used campaign funds for personal use.”
Per FACT, Bush’s husband received $60,00 USD for security despite her husband not having a security license which is required in St. Louis.
Rep. Cori Bush hit with FEC complaint after paying now-hubby for security https://t.co/FyfIMBrwim pic.twitter.com/5UvzOGL270
— New York Post (@nypost) March 2, 2023
'Squad' Rep. Cori Bush hit with FEC complaint over private security payments to husband https://t.co/T0NORTGfIn
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 2, 2023
Fox News broke the story:
A government watchdog group is calling on the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to investigate campaign payments by Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo, to her husband for private security services.
The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) on Thursday sent a complaint to the FEC’s acting general counsel, Lisa Stevenson, asking the commission to look into whether “Rep. Cori Bush and her campaign committee may have used campaign funds for personal use.”
Bush’s campaign paid her now-husband, Cortney Merritts, $60,000 for security in 2022 despite him not having a private security license, which is needed to conduct such services in the St. Louis region. While Merritts collected the payments, Bush’s campaign also spent $225,281 with PEACE Security and $50,000 with an individual named Nathaniel Davis for personal protection.
Within the complaint, FACT says that committees generally may only spend funds for “bona fide campaign or political purposes” and that payments that are not for bona fide services at fair market value could fall under one of two prohibited categories, including “payments to family members” or “gifts.”
.@factdc is asking the @FEC to investigate @RepCori for paying her now-husband for security services in 2022.
“It appears Rep. Bush’s campaign may have made payments for services that were unnecessary or above fair market value,” FACTS wrote.https://t.co/mpMECMjtpp
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 2, 2023
The Washington Examiner had these details to add:
A government watchdog group is pressing the Federal Election Commission to investigate Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) over complaints that she made campaign payments to her now-husband for security services during the 2022 midterm cycle.
The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, or FACT, filed a complaint with the FEC on Wednesday, Fox News reported, accusing Bush of using campaign funds for personal use by paying her private security guard Cortney Merritts more than $60,000 last year in direct payments. Bush came under fire for those payments after it was revealed that she married Merritts in a private ceremony last week.
Bush made the payments to her now-husband despite Merritts not having a private security license, which is a requirement in the St. Louis area, according to the group. Meanwhile, Bush also paid two other groups for security services, including PEACE Security and a personal guard named Nathaniel Davis — equaling a total of more than $571,856
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