Flashback to what squad Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) said in 2021 about the hypocrisy of paying tens of thousands of dollars for private security while calling to Defund the Police…
“They would rather I die?” Bush asked, when confronted. “You would rather me die? Is that what you want to see? You want to see me die? You know, because that could be the alternative…Suck it up, and defunding the police has to happen,” she added.
That was the story then — but now, it’s something of a different beast…
The Department of Justice is currently investigating Bush and her “private security guard” husband Cortney Merritts in the wake of multiple watchdog complaints. “Private security guard” is in quotation marks because Merritts hasn’t had a private security license since 2012.
Bush insisted this week that she “retained my husband as part of my security team to provide security services because he has had extensive experience in this area, and is able to provide the necessary services at or below a fair market rate.”
But did Merritts just pocket the cash?
From Fox News:
Merritts has now collected $120,000 from Bush’s campaign coffers. Politicians can pay family members from their committees as long as they provide “bona fide” services at fair market value. He pocketed the money as Bush’s campaign simultaneously spent significantly more with St. Louis-based companies such as PEACE Security for private detail. She’s spent over $770,000 on such services.
Meanwhile, Merritts, whose online accounts and posts have indicated he worked at a railroad company for years before starting a moving company, did not have a private security license as of late February 2023. He also did not appear in a Washington, D.C., database of licensed security specialists.
Merritts raised eyebrows last October when he had the following exchange with a Fox News videographer about his role in the Bush campaign.
“What’s your role on the campaign right now?” the videographer asked.
“I don’t have a role in the campaign, man,” Merritts responded.
“You don’t have a role at all?” the videographer countered. “They were reporting you had wages on the campaign for security, and then it was a general wage. I was just wondering what you’ve been doing on the campaign?”
“Yeah, I mean you can Google what it is,” Merritts replied. “You can also Google what happened with the FEC report came back 5-0, that it was all completely above board.”
“So you’re not doing any more work with her campaign?” the videographer said.
“Am I doing work with the campaign?” Merrits said. “Obviously, I am. I’m still [inaudible], right?”
“You’re still a part of it?” the videographer asked.
“Am I still employed with it? Yes, so obviously, I’m going to work with it,” Merritts said. “What’s this whole ‘gotcha’ s—? I’m not a politician, man, so ask me a question, man-to-man, and I’ll answer. So what’s your question?”
“That was it, about the campaign,” the videographer responded.
“I’m still in the campaign; I still do security with the campaign. Have a good night, man. Be safe,” Merritts said before getting into the car with Bush.
Merritts flipped his story in a matter of moments. It also appears the Bush campaign may be covering for him.
“Unfortunately, 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, ‘wage payments,’ which at a minimum is contrary to the purpose of the law to clearly describe the purposes of campaign disbursements,” FACT executive director Kendra Arnold said in a statement.
Will Bush and Merritt get caught in a lie? Or is it all “above board?”
