Three Key Takeaways:
- Cori Bush’s husband, Cortney Merritts, has been indicted on two wire fraud charges for allegedly stealing over $20,000 in COVID relief funds by submitting fraudulent loan applications for his businesses.
- The fraud charges add to the growing list of controversies surrounding the Bush family, including allegations of misusing campaign funds and paying Merritts for unlicensed security services.
- If convicted, Merritts could face significant prison time for defrauding taxpayer-funded COVID relief programs, highlighting widespread fraud targeting pandemic aid.
Squad member Cori Bush found herself in hot water yet again.
This time her controversial husband is at the center of the storm.
And Cori Bush was blindsided after her husband got caught in this shocking COVID fraud scheme.
DOJ brings two wire fraud charges against Cori Bush’s husband
Former Missouri Congresswoman Cori Bush has been no stranger to controversy.
The radical “Squad” member previously came under fire for questionable campaign spending when she allegedly paid her husband Cortney Merritts as an unlicensed security guard.
But now Merritts is facing much more serious legal troubles after being indicted by federal prosecutors on wire fraud charges.
The Department of Justice announced Thursday that Merritts was charged with two counts of wire fraud for allegedly stealing more than $20,000 in COVID relief funds meant for struggling American businesses during the pandemic.
The fraud charges stem from a series of allegedly deceptive applications Merritts submitted for government assistance.
According to the indictment, “on July 7, 2020, Merritts received an $8,500 EIDL loan from the SBA for a moving business he operated that he called Vetted Couriers. In the application he submitted for Vetted Couriers, Merritts certified that his business had six employees and had generated $32,000 in gross revenue between January 30, 2019 and January 30, 2020.”
The DOJ alleges these claims were completely fabricated.
Not content with just one fraudulent application, Merritts allegedly tried again the very next day.
According to the indictment, “On July 8, 2020, Merritts submitted another application to the SBA for an EIDL loan in the name of a sole proprietorship he called ‘Cortney Merritts.’ In this EIDL application, Merritts fraudulently claimed to have a business that employed 10 people and generated $53,000 in gross revenue between January 30, 2019 and January 30, 2020.”
The indictment further alleges that “on April 22, 2021, Merritts applied for a PPP loan in the name of a sole proprietorship he called ‘Cortney Merritts.’ Merritts fraudulently claimed in this application that he had created this business in 2020 and that it had generated $128,000 in gross income that year. Based on Merritts’ representations about his gross income, Merritts received a $20,832 PPP loan. Merritts used the proceeds for his personal benefit and enjoyment.”
Perhaps most brazen of all, according to the indictment, “In July 2022, Merritts submitted a loan forgiveness application in which he falsely claimed that this business had 10 employees at the time of the PPP loan, and that he spent the $20,832 on payroll costs. Based on Merritts’ alleged fraudulent representations, the SBA forgave the PPP loan in the amount of $20,832 and the $254.03 in interest.”
Squad member’s family troubles multiply
This indictment adds to a growing list of problems for the Bush family.
The former Congresswoman was already under DOJ investigation last year for allegedly misusing campaign funds to pay Merritts tens of thousands of dollars for security services despite his lack of proper licensing.
Bush lost her primary race for reelection in August, ending her controversial tenure in Congress.
She had previously made headlines as one of the most vocal advocates for defunding the police while simultaneously spending large sums on private security – including payments to her husband.
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward Martin Jr., who stated that the investigation into Merritts’ alleged COVID relief fraud was conducted by the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General and the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
“This case is being investigated by the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General and the FBI Washington Field Office,” the DOJ press release stated. “It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rami Sibay.”
If convicted, Merritts could face significant prison time for defrauding taxpayer-funded programs designed to help legitimate small businesses survive during the pandemic.
The case represents yet another example of how COVID relief programs became targets for fraud across the country, with billions in taxpayer dollars potentially misappropriated.
While Americans struggled to keep their businesses afloat during the pandemic lockdowns, the husband of a “Squad” member allegedly exploited the system for personal gain.
