Rep. Cori Bush Reveals Investigations Into Security Spending

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Facts

  • The US Dept. of Justice (DOJ) has begun investigating US Rep. Cori Bush's (D-Mo.) financing of private security services. The investigation, sparked by a lawsuit by the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, is looking into her decision to hire her husband as part of her security detail and pay him with campaign funds.1
  • In her statement confirming the investigation, Bush claimed that her use of campaign funds on security services was 'permissible' and in compliance 'with all applicable laws and House rules.' She cited 'relentless threats' to her 'physical safety and life' as justification for the expenditure. She further stated that her husband's employment within her security team was 'at or below a fair market rate.'2
  • Bush maintained that her campaign is 'fully cooperating' with the DOJ's review while also accusing a 'number of investigations,' including by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the House Committee on Ethics, to be the result of 'frivolous' and 'baseless' complaints.2
  • Within the 2021-2024 electoral cycles, 'Peace Security' has so far received at least $381K from 78 payments by Bush's campaign — the Congresswoman's highest expenditure.3
  • In just 2022, according to the lawsuit, Bush's campaign paid Peace Security over $225K, another $50K to a man named Nathaniel Davis, and $60K to her husband Cori Merritts. Merritts received his money in biweekly sums of $2.5K.4
  • This follows a probe conducted by the Office of Congressional Ethics last October, which unanimously concluded that Bush had not committed any wrongdoing by using campaign finances for private security. So far, the DOJ has declined to comment on the matter.5

Sources: 1FOX News, 2twitter.com, 3OpenSecrets, 4New York Times and 5Associated Press.

Narratives

  • Republican narrative, as provided by National Review. The hypocrisy and irony of Cori Bush incessantly demanding for police to be defunded while paying hundreds of thousands for private security is untenable. Bush has previously argued that it's time for people to'suck it up' and defund the police — it's time for her to face the consequences of the illegal abuses of her government office.
  • Democratic narrative, as provided by Huffington Post. Cori Bush — like many members of the female- and minority-led Squad — continues to be the target of dangerous threats and incessant criticism from the far right. Paying family members a fair price for services using campaign finance is legal. This brings to question whether she would face such scrutiny from the right if she hadn't been a leader in the Black Lives Matter movement.

Predictions