Cori Bush accuses ‘right-wing’ organizations of causing DOJ spending investigation

Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., blamed “right-wing organizations” on Tuesday for yet another investigation into her alleged misuse of funds, which centers on the $60,000 she paid to her now-husband Cortney Merritts for security.

The Department of Justice subpoenaed the House of Representatives on Monday for records relating to a misuse of funds investigation surrounding a Democrat lawmaker, who went unnamed at the time.

Bush, a member of the far-left group dubbed The Squad, released a statement early Tuesday to say she was that lawmaker, and then gave a short statement on the steps of the Capitol later in the day rehashing earlier talking points — right-wingers did it.

“In recent months, right-wing organizations lodged baseless complaints against me, peddling notions I have misused campaign funds to pay for personal security services,” Bush repeated in her statement for the cameras. “That is simply not true.”

“The nature of these particular allegations have been around my husband’s role in the campaign,” she said. “I retained my husband as part of my security team to provide security services because he has had extensive experience in this area.”

Merritts is not licensed for private security in Bush’s district of St. Louis or in Washington, D.C., Fox News reported almost a year ago. Further, the Federal Election Commission requires payments to be made to family members only for “bona fide” services, according to the New York Post.

Bush noted the “frivolous investigations” that are ongoing — the FEC, the House Committee on Ethics and now, as of Monday, the DOJ.

The Office of Congressional Ethics “found no wrongdoing” in September, and Bush said she looks “forward to the same outcome from all impending investigations.”

Bush’s personal security spending first became a topic of public discussion when media asked her about spending up to $700,000 on personal security while she was openly calling for the defunding of police during the 2020 George Floyd election-year riots and beyond.

“I’m going to make sure I have security because I know I have had attempts on my life and I have too much work to do,” she told CBS News in August 2021. “So, if I end up spending $200,000, if I spend … 10 more dollars on it, you know what? I get to be here to do the work.”

“So, suck it up and defunding the police has to happen,” Bush added. “We need to defund the police and put that money into social safety nets because we’re trying to save lives.”