Second FEC complaint Filed Over Squad Member Cori Bush’s Payments To Her New Husband

(UnitedHeadlines.com) – A second Federal Election Commission complaint has now been filed against squad member and Missouri Rep. Cori Bush.

The Committee filed the complaint to Defeat the President, which is an anti-Biden super PAC. In the complaint, it is alleged that Bush did not follow campaign laws in regard to finances when she paid $60,000 for personal security to Cortney Merritts, her now husband. In 2022 her campaign also paid $225,281 for personal security to PEACE Security firm, based in St. Louis. She also made a payment to Nathaniel Davis for private security services. The money was paid to Merritts, although he has no license for personal security services in Bush’s district of St. Louis or St. Louis County.

The first Federal Election Commission complaint was filed to Lisa Stevenson, FEC’s acting general, regarding Bush earlier in March by the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust which asked them for an investigation into whether Bush used campaign funds for personal use. The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust is a nonpartisan group.

The Federal Election Commission rules regarding campaign finances say that personal expenses to family members are not allowed and must be related to a legitimate reason related to an official responsibility. Personal use of campaign funds means that regardless of a political campaign, the financial commitment would still exist. If payments to a family member are made for services related to the campaign, the payments must not exceed what is considered fair market value.

Bush has been in a relationship with Merritts since 2021 before she was elected to Congress. The two were married in February.

Squad member and Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar also has been scrutinized for paying $2.9 million to her husband’s consulting firm in 2021. That year, the $2.9 million was 80% of the company’s revenue.