{"id":2296248,"date":"2024-07-16T12:29:10","date_gmt":"2024-07-16T16:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/squad-democrat-cori-bush-keeps-husband-on-payroll-with-wage-expense-payments-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-07-16T12:30:43","modified_gmt":"2024-07-16T16:30:43","slug":"democratic-squad-member-cori-bush-pays-husband-with-wage-expense-payments-washington-examiner-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democratic-squad-member-cori-bush-pays-husband-with-wage-expense-payments-washington-examiner-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Democratic Squad member Cori Bush pays husband with &#8216;wage expense&#8217; payments &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdemocratic-squad-member-cori-bush-pays-husband-with-wage-expense-payments-washington-examiner-4%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2296248&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses how\u200c &#8220;Squad&#8221; Rep. Cori Bush has made payments to her\u200b husband, Cortney\u200d Merritts, from her campaign funds for \u2064security services. The Justice Department has opened an investigation into Bush&#8217;s spending on private security, including payments to her \u200bhusband. Despite facing scrutiny and FEC complaints, Bush continues to\u2063 pay her husband for security services, describing the payments as\u200d a &#8220;wage expense.&#8221; This raises questions about transparency and accountability in campaign finances.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\">\n<div class=\"tdb-search-form-inner\"><input class=\"tdb-head-search-form-input\" placeholder=\" \" type=\"text\" value name=\"s\" autocomplete=\"off\"><button class=\"wpb_button wpb_btn-inverse btn tdb-head-search-form-btn\" title=\"Search\" type=\"submit\"><span>Search<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">&lsquo;Squad&rsquo; Democrat Cori Bush keeps husband on payroll with &lsquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democratic-squad-member-cori-bush-pays-husband-with-wage-expense-payments-washington-examiner-2\/\" title=\"Democratic Squad member Cori Bush pays husband with &#039;wage expense&#039; payments - Washington Examiner\">wage expense&#038;rsquo<\/a>; payments<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> <a class=\"tdb-author-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/author\/gabe-kaminsky\/\">Gabe Kaminsky<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2024-07-16T12:05:43-04:00\">July 16, 2024 12:05 pm<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1701218\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>&ldquo;Squad&rdquo; Rep.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/cori-bush\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cori Bush<\/a>&nbsp;(D-MO) recently cut more checks from her&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/campaign\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">campaign<\/a>&nbsp;to her husband and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democratic-squad-member-cori-bush-pays-husband-with-wage-expense-payments-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Democratic Squad member Cori Bush pays husband with &#039;wage expense&#039; payments - Washington Examiner\">longtime security guard &#038;mdash<\/a>; payments that came after the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/justice-department\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Justice Department\">Justice Department<\/a> opened an investigation into her major spending on private security.<\/p>\n<p>Bush dished out $15,000 between April and June to Cortney Merritts for a &ldquo;wage expense,&rdquo; adding on to the more than $137,000 she has paid her husband since 2022, according to Federal Election Commission filings. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/2828497\/how-cori-bushs-private-security-payments-prompted-a-criminal-investigation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>new payments come months<\/a> after Bush noted she is &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democratic-representative-cori-bush-employs-her-husband-and-pays-him-through-wage-expense-payments-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Democratic Representative Cori Bush employs her husband and pays him through &#039;wage expense&#039; payments - Washington Examiner\">fully cooperating&#038;rdquo<\/a>; with a DOJ investigation into the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2830591\/democrat-cori-bush-paid-husband-thousands-federal-investigation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>private security<\/a> disbursements, which are north of $750,000 combined, documents show.<\/p>\n<p>The new filings show that Bush separately spent $16,720 on security services, paying two men named Joseph Walter and Joel Beard. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Cori Bush pays husband another 15K from campaign despite DOJ investigation, per new filings <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5uKMUjDCdl\">pic.twitter.com\/5uKMUjDCdl<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Gabe Kaminsky (@gekaminsky) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/gekaminsky\/status\/1813062243895910511?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 16, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/1891362\/rep-cori-bush-married-security-guard-the-love-of-her-life-chief-of-staff-says\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Bush married Merritts<\/a>, her security guard, in a private ceremony in St. Louis last year.<\/p>\n<p>By that time, the security guard had already received more than $62,000 from January 2022 to January 2023 from Bush&rsquo;s campaign for &ldquo;security services,&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/after-taking-millions-from-corporate-pacs-maloney-wants-big-corporate-money-out-of-politics\/\" title=\"After Taking Millions from Corporate PACs, Maloney Wants \u2018Big Corporate Money Out of Politics\u2019\">campaign finance records show<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But the Bush campaign subsequently began to describe campaign payments to Merritts as a &ldquo;wage expense&rdquo; as scrutiny grew over the alleged enrichment of her husband. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/834771\/cori-bush-faces-second-campaign-finance-complaint-over-paying-husband-for-security\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Bush faced FEC complaints<\/a> from conservative <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/91846\/cori-bush-faces-ethics-complaint-after-using-campaign-funds-to-pay-husband-for-security-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>groups<\/a>, which argued she had been &ldquo;falsely reporting the purpose of disbursements,&rdquo; which one group, the conservative Committee to Defeat the President, said was a &ldquo;criminal act&rdquo; that should be referred to the DOJ.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It appears Rep. Bush&rsquo;s campaign may have made payments for services that were unnecessary or above fair market value because of her personal relationship with the payee,&rdquo; the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, a separate group, wrote in an FEC complaint last year. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If so, these payments would qualify as either impermissible payments to a family member or an impermissible gift,&rdquo; the watchdog argued.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Bush faces a tough reelection this year and trails her Democratic primary challenger, St. Louis prosecuting attorney Wesley Bell, by 23 percentage points, according to a new <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/07\/14\/us-news\/squad-under-siege-as-rep-cori-bush-trails-democratic-challenger-by-23-percentage-points-poll\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>poll<\/a> conducted by McLaughlin &amp; Associates for the CCA Action Fund.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> reached out to Bush and Merritts for comment.<\/p>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1701218\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1701218\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Squad&#8221; member Cori Bush continues to pay her husband from her campaign funds despite being under investigation by the DOJ for excessive spending on private security. Bush has paid her husband over $137,000 since 2022, with an additional $15,000 paid between April and June. The payments to her husband, who also serves as her security guard, have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest and improper use of campaign funds. Bush&#8217;s reelection campaign is facing challenges, with polls showing her trailing her primary challenger by a significant margin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":381,"featured_media":2296249,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/AP24191603262892-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[33724,35213,35215,35209,32076],"class_list":["post-2296248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-cori-bush","tag-democratic-squad","tag-husband-payment","tag-wage-expense","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/AP24191603262892-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2296248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/381"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2296248"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2296248\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2296249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2296248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2296248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2296248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}