DOJ announces criminal investigation into 'squad' member for alleged misuse of gov’t funds
The Biden administration's Department of Justice has officially opened a criminal investigation into Rep. Cori Bush (D-Missouri) for allegedly misappropriating public money.
Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman tweeted the news of the investigation on Tuesday, citing "six sources familiar with the matter." He added that the DOJ had subpoenaed the House Sergeant-at-Arms for records pertaining to "misspending of federal security money." Punchbowl reporter Max Cohen attempted to ask the congresswoman for comment on the investigation, but was unable to and tweeted that he was "reprimanded" for the interaction "as she had a toothache."
Bush has not yet issued a public response to the allegations, but her Democratic primary opponent Wesley Bell — the prosecuting attorney for St. Louis County in Missouri — stated that constituents "deserve a representative they can trust who will show up and get results for them."
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"As a prosecutor, I understand that Rep. Bush is entitled to due process," Bell stated. "It is my hope that Rep. Bush will cooperate fully with the investigation and be transparent with the public in responding to the legitimate concerns they are likely to have."
Bush was previously the subject of a complaint lodged with the Federal Election Commission by the watchdog group Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) that she had paid her husband thousands of dollars for private security, even though he didn't have a valid license to run a security-based company. California Target Book research director Rob Pyers tweeted that Bush's campaign committee spent over $750,000 on security expenses, which was "far and away the campaign's biggest expense category."
"It appears Rep. Bush's campaign may have made payments for services that were unnecessary or above fair market value because of her personal relationship with the payee," FACT executive director Kendra Arnold wrote in the complaint. “If so, these payments would qualify as either impermissible payments to a family member or an impermissible gift."
However, Bush — who was a high-profile activist in Ferguson, Missouri in the wake of the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown at the hands of officer Darren Wilson — countered that high security expenses were necessary.
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"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, there are too many people that need help right now for me to allow that," Bush said in 2021.
