{"id":1730,"date":"2023-03-07T11:13:59","date_gmt":"2023-03-07T16:13:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/?p=1730"},"modified":"2023-03-07T11:13:59","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T16:13:59","slug":"breaking-democratic-rep-cori-bush-ends-up-marrying-a-security-guard-who-was-paid-60k-from-her-campaign-funds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/?p=1730","title":{"rendered":"Breaking: Democratic Rep. Cori Bush Ends Up Marrying A Security Guard Who Was Paid $60k From Her Campaign Funds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20370%20247'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"zeen-lazy-load-base zeen-lazy-load wp-image-1731\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"894\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1731\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1.png 894w, https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1-770x431.png 770w, https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1-293x164.png 293w, https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1-390x218.png 390w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 894px) 100vw, 894px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) has reportedly espoused a U.S. army veteran security guard named Courtney Merritts in a very private ceremony that took place in St. Louis, Missouri in early February.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Investigations by several sources revealed that Merritts received over $60,000 in direct payments from Bush\u2019s campaign funds last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">St. Louis-based local news KSDK reported:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cCampaign funds are not to be used to enhance a Member\u2019s lifestyle, or to pay a Member\u2019s personal obligations,\u201d House ethics rules state. \u201cMembers have wide discretion in determining what constitutes a bona fide campaign or political purpose to which campaign funds and resources may be devoted, but Members have no discretion whatsoever to convert campaign funds to personal use.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It has also been discovered that Merritts and Bush had been dating before she was elected in 2020. Bush hired Merritts as her security guard. A total of $627,000 was spent from her campaign funds on security, out of which, over $62,000 was paid to Merritts.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">So Cori Bush went from <br>\u201cDefund the Police\u201d to <br>\u201cMarry the Police\u201d \ud83d\ude05<br><br>Jokes aside he\u2019s not really the police, just the personal security she hired and paid $62,359 of campaign dollars to in addition to the $627,088 she\u2019s spent on personal security. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fQYXKF8vZc\">pic.twitter.com\/fQYXKF8vZc<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Terry Lee \u738b\u745e\u6c11\ud83d\udc9c\ud83d\udc99 (@TerryWatkinsJr1) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TerryWatkinsJr1\/status\/1630202664746377219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 27, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bush is among the most radical democrats in the House. She is an avid promoter of the&nbsp;<em>\u2018defund the police\u2019&nbsp;<\/em>rhetoric. As a result, she has been criticized for her hypocrisy and elitism as she spent a fortune on her security.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On a CBS interview in 2021, when Bush was questioned about the matter, she said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cThey would rather I die? You would rather me die? Is that what you want to see? You want to see me die? You know, because that could be the alternative.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He security spending first came into spotlight in 2021. Merritt\u2019s social media shows that in January 2021, he was with Bush on her trips including the Ed Sullivan Theater and to Central America.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The couple\u2019s wedding was formally announced by Bush\u2019s Chief of Staff, Abbas Alaweih in a statement:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cWith heartfelt congratulations, I am happy to confirm that Congresswoman Cori Bush married the love of her life, Cortney Merritts, this month. Mr. Merritts, a veteran of the U.S. Army and a security professional, has been Congresswoman Bush\u2019s partner since before her Congressional tenure and is not employed by her Congressional office. Our team has come to know and appreciate Mr. Merritts as a loving and caring Congressional spouse.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>He Added:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cThose who know the Congresswoman personally and have followed her inspiring story know that she is a survivor of multiple forms of violence, including intimate partner violence. That she has married someone who supports her in all that she does, including as Representative of the incredible people of St. Louis, is cause for great celebration. Our team hopes that everyone will join us in celebrating the Congresswoman during this joyous time while respecting her privacy as she and her husband begin this new chapter together.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The question stands now: Will this information draw attention from the Congressional Ethics Office and Federal Election Commission? The couple\u2019s history shows they were dating when Merritt was her security guard. Bush should be questioned and held accountable for misuse and misallocation of her campaign funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We organized and we delivered.<br><br>I am proud to have secured $214M for climate relief funding to repair public transit systems affected by devastating natural disasters in St. Louis &amp; across our country.<br><br>Read here: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/D5ywBBGwqW\">https:\/\/t.co\/D5ywBBGwqW<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Congresswoman Cori Bush (@RepCori) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepCori\/status\/1630243456072429568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 27, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s also noteworthy that Bush recently raised a huge sum in the name of Climate Relief Fund. She has to be investigated before she starts funneling this money as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/theragingpatriot.org\/2023\/02\/27\/breaking-democratic-rep-cori-bush-ends-up-marrying-a-security-guard-who-was-paid-60k-from-her-campaign-funds\/\">https:\/\/theragingpatriot.org\/2023\/02\/27\/breaking-democratic-rep-cori-bush-ends-up-marrying-a-security-guard-who-was-paid-60k-from-her-campaign-funds\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) has reportedly espoused a U.S. army veteran security guard named Courtney Merritts in a very private ceremony that took place in St. Louis, Missouri in early February.&nbsp; Investigations by several sources revealed that Merritts received over $60,000 in direct payments from Bush\u2019s campaign funds last year. St. Louis-based local news KSDK reported: \u201cCampaign funds are not to be used to enhance a Member\u2019s lifestyle, or to pay a Member\u2019s personal obligations,\u201d House ethics rules state. \u201cMembers [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-democrats"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1730"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1730\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1732,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1730\/revisions\/1732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}