{"id":14868,"date":"2024-01-31T00:47:31","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T00:47:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/2024\/01\/31\/cori-bush-under-justice-department-investigation-over-alleged-misuse-of-security-funds\/"},"modified":"2024-01-31T00:47:31","modified_gmt":"2024-01-31T00:47:31","slug":"cori-bush-under-justice-department-investigation-over-alleged-misuse-of-security-funds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/2024\/01\/31\/cori-bush-under-justice-department-investigation-over-alleged-misuse-of-security-funds\/","title":{"rendered":"Cori Bush under Justice Department investigation over alleged misuse of security funds"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Justice Department is investigating \u2018Squad\u2019 member Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., over the alleged misuse of government funds intended to pay for her security, two sources tell Fox News.<\/p>\n

The probe is related to allegations of federal security money being spent improperly, the sources said.<\/p>\n

A subpoena announcement was read on the House floor Monday, and sources said it was related to the investigation into Bush.<\/p>\n

The Justice Department declined to comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Responding to Fox News Digital, Bush\u2019s office provided a statement confirming the \u2018Department of Justice is reviewing my campaign\u2019s spending on security services.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n

The congresswoman blamed \u2018right-wing organizations\u2019 for the DOJ probe, as well as other investigations into the matter by the Federal Election Commission and the House Committee on Ethics.\u00a0\u2018I have not used any federal tax dollars for personal security services. Any reporting that I have used federal funds for personal security is simply false,\u2019 she said in part.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One of those watchdog groups, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), reacted to news of the Justice Department probe and defended having <\/strong>filed an official complaint with the FEC in 2023 regarding the details of repeated payments Bush made to a man who is now her current husband.<\/p>\n

\u2018In her own FEC filings the payments were initially characterized as being for \u2018security.\u2019 Among the many troubling facts involved that we strongly felt justified an investigation were her close personal relationship, her large payments to others for the same services at the same time, and that her husband reportedly didn\u2019t have a license to provide those services,\u2019 FACT executive director Kendra Arnold said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018Unfortunately, after our complaint was filed, Rep. Bush changed the language on her disclosure describing the continuing payments to her husband to something amorphous and vague, \u2018wage payments,\u2019 which at a minimum is contrary to the purpose of the law to clearly describe the purposes of campaign disbursements,\u2019 she said. \u2018Our hope, as it always is with our complaints, is that a thorough and fair investigation reveals the truth of the matter and whether any legal violations have occurred.\u2019<\/p>\n

Arnold added, \u2018The rules and laws governing the use and disclosure of federal campaign expenditures are written to ensure that those in Congress elected to represent us do so without personally profiting from their office. The facts alone speak to the need for an investigation, citizens deserve the truth, and we are glad that several governmental bodies have found an investigation is merited and look forward to the outcomes.\u2019<\/p>\n

In a message read aloud by a House clerk on Monday to notify Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., House Sergeant at Arms William McFarland relayed that his office received a grand jury subpoena for documents issued by the Justice Department and added that the sergeant of arms office would comply with that subpoena. The message did not elaborate further.<\/p>\n

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Speculation swirled on social media about what the DOJ probe could be about, including whether it was related to Jan. 6, but sources later pointed to Bush instead.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bush notably has spent more than $500,000 on her own private security while publicly advocating for the defund the police movement.\u00a0<\/p>\n

PunchBowl News first reported the Justice Department is conducting a criminal probe into Bush, connected with the House sergeant at arms subpoena.<\/p>\n

Bush\u2019s husband and former security guard, Cortney Merritts, who she married in February 2023, has\u00a0pocketed more than $100,000 in payments\u00a0since Bush added him to her campaign\u2019s payroll in January 2022 for what they marked as \u2018security\u2019 payments before switching their description to \u2018wage expenses\u2019 in April, Fox News Digital previously reported.<\/p>\n

In March 2023, Bush was hit with two FEC complaints over security payments she made to her new husband.<\/p>\n

One complaint\u00a0comes from the Committee to Defeat the President, an anti-Biden super PAC, which alleges Bush has \u2018flouted\u2019 federal campaign finance laws by paying Merritts $60,000 for security in 2022. Merritts does not have a license to perform security functions in the congresswoman\u2019s district.<\/p>\n

Bush\u2019s campaign also paid $225,281 to the St. Louis-based PEACE Security firm for personal protection throughout 2022. Bush and Merritts have been together since before she entered Congress in 2021, a press release from her office said.<\/p>\n

FACT also filed a complaint to ask the FEC to investigate whether Bush \u2018used campaign funds for personal use,\u2019 citing the $60,000 payment in 2022 for security services provided to Merritts.<\/p>\n

\u2018It appears Rep. Bush\u2019s campaign may have made payments for services that were unnecessary or above fair market value because of her personal relationship with the payee,\u2019 Arnold wrote in the complaint at the time. \u2018If so, these payments would qualify as either impermissible payments to a family member or an impermissible gift.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Therefore, 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,\u2019 the complaint said. \u2018Ultimately, if one or more campaign laws are found to have been broken, we request the FEC hold the respondents accountable.\u2019<\/p>\n

Fox News\u2019 Joe Schoffstall contributed to this report.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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