Cortney Merritts, husband of former U.S. Representative Cori Bush, has been charged with two counts of wire fraud for allegedly securing $20,000 in COVID-19 relief loans using false business information. The charges stem from pandemic-era applications Merritts submitted to the Small Business Administration in 2020 and 2021. He has stated his intent to plead not guilty.
The allegations come amid ongoing scrutiny surrounding payments made to Merritts for security services by Bush’s 2022 congressional campaign, despite his lack of a valid security license. This raised questions about potential misuse of campaign funds and prompted calls for a Federal Elections Commission investigation into whether Bush inappropriately used campaign resources for personal benefit.
