A government watchdog organization is demanding the Federal Elections Commission to start a probe into the Democratic Rep. from Missouri, Cori Bush, who is also a “Squad Member,” for providing payments to her husband against security services.
On Thursday the watchdog group, Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust made the complaint against Bush to the acting general counsel for the FEC, Lista Stevenson stating that:
“Rep. Cori Bush and her campaign committee may have used campaign funds for personal use.”
According to a report by Fox News:
“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.”
The government watchdog group stated:
“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. If so, these payments would qualify as either impermissible payments to a family member or an impermissible gift.”
The group added:
“Therefore, we request the FEC investigate whether Rep. Bush converted campaign funds for personal use by paying a salary that was not for bona fide services at fair market value. Ultimately, if one or more campaign laws are found to have been broken, we request the FEC hold the respondents accountable.”
It was also revealed that Bush’s husband did not even have an official license to provide security.