Cortney Merritts, the husband of former U.S. Representative Cori Bush, has been indicted on federal charges of wire fraud. The allegations stem from his involvement in the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictment claims that Merritts submitted false applications to the Small Business Administration in 2020 and 2021, allegedly securing nearly $21,000 through deceitful means.
According to the indictment, Merritts misrepresented details about a business he owned, including the number of employees and the revenue generated. Federal prosecutors have ordered him to forfeit any property linked to the alleged fraud. Merritts’ attorney, Justin Gelfand, stated that they are prepared to fight the charges in court.
This legal trouble comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Cori Bush herself. Last year, she was under investigation for allegedly misusing campaign funds meant for personal security, which included payments to Merritts for providing security services. While no charges have been filed against her, the status of that investigation remains unclear.
Cori Bush, who served in Congress since 2021 after defeating longtime incumbent Lacy Clay in the primary, lost her seat in 2024 to Wesley Bell, a more moderate Democrat. Throughout her time in office, she faced criticism for her spending on private security despite her calls to defund the police. Her campaign reportedly spent over $750,000 on security services since 2019, citing threats to her life as the reason for these expenses.
