Husband of former Rep. Cori Bush indicted for COVID-19 relief fraud

[Karah Rucker]

THE HUSBAND OF FORMER CONGRESSWOMAN AND “SQUAD MEMBER” CORI BUSH –

HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH WIRE FRAUD RELATED TO SMALL BUSINESS LOANS HE RECEIVED DURING THE PANDEMIC.

FEDERAL PROSECUTORS SAY CORTNEY MERRITTS FILED FRAUDULENT APPLICATIONS FOR COVID RELIEF –

SECURING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN GOVERNMENT AID.

THIS IS A COPY OF THE INDICTMENT FILED IN D.C. FEDERAL COURT.

ACCORDING TO THE DOJ – BUSH’S HUSBAND FILED TWO “PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM” LOAN APPLICATIONS IN 2020 AND 2021 FOR COVID EMERGENCY FUNDS THAT WERE BEING OFFERED TO STRUGGLING SMALL BUSINESSES.

HERE’S SOME OF THE ALLEGATIONS MADE INSIDE THE INDICTMENT.

PROSECUTORS SAY MERRITTS OWNED A MOVING BUSINESS CALLED “VETTED COURIERS” – AND APPLIED FOR AN “ECONOMIC INJURY DISASTER LOAN” WITH THE SBA – USING “FALSE REPRESENTATIONS WITH THE INTENT TO DEFRAUD.”

HE RECEIVED 85 HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR THAT LOAN ON JULY 7, 2020. 

THE DAY AFTER RECEIVING THE LOAN –

ANOTHER LOAN APPLICATION WAS SUBMITTED – BUT UNDER A DIFFERENT BUSINESS NAME – “CORTNEY MERRITTS” – NAMED AFTER HIMSELF.

PROSECUTORS SAY THAT LOAN WAS REJECTED BECAUSE IT WAS “NEARLY IDENTICAL TO HIS PREVIOUS APPLICATION” – ACCORDING TO THE INDICTMENT.

PROSECUTORS SAY AFTER THE SECOND LOAN WAS REJECTED –

MERRITTS FILED FOR A PPP LOAN IN 2021 FOR THE “CORTNEY MERRITTS” BUSINESS – 

AND CLAIMED IT GENERATED 128 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN GROSS INCOME – AND EMPLOYED 10 PEOPLE – SOMETHING THE DOJ SAYS WAS FALSIFIED.

PROSECUTORS SAY MERRITTS MISREPRESENTED THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES AND FORGED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A HIGHER LOAN AMOUNT.

THIS LED TO A PAYOUT OF NEARLY 21 THOUSAND DOLLARS (20,832) WHICH WAS FORGIVEN BY THE GOVERNMENT WHEN MERITTS CLAIMED HE SPENT THE MONEY ON PAYROLL COSTS.   

UNDER “PURPOSE OF THE SCHEME TO DEFRAUD” IN THE INDICTMENT –

PROSECUTORS SAY “Merritts would attempt to file, and cause the filing of materially false applications and requests for an EIDL and PPP funds, which he was not entitled to receive, and to spend the fraudulently obtained money, totaling over 20,832 for his own benefit and enjoyment.”

LAWYERS FOR MERRITT DENY THE ALLEGATIONS –

RELEASING A STATEMENT SAYING “Mr. Merritts intends to plead not guilty to the charges. As with any indictment, this is only the government’s version of the story. We look forward to litigating this case in federal court in Washington, D.C.”

MERRITT’S WIFE – FORMER MISSOURI CONGRESSWOMAN CORI BUSH – 

SERVED TWO TERMS REPRESENTING ST. LOUIS BEFORE LOSING HER SEAT IN THE 2024 DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY. 

SHE IS NOT NAMED IN THE INDICTMENT AND HAS NOT BEEN ACCUSED OF ANY WRONGDOING.

HOWEVER, BUSH PREVIOUSLY FACED CONTROVERSY FOR PAYING HER HUSBAND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FROM HER CAMPAIGN FUNDS TO WORK AS HER SECURITY GUARD. 

SHE PAID MERRITTS SIXTY THOUSAND DOLLARS IN 2022 AND FORTY-TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS IN 2023 – ACCORDING TO FEC FILINGS.

THE “OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS” DISMISSED A COMPLAINT ALLEGING IT WAS A “FEDERAL ELECTION LAW VIOLATION.”

LAST YEAR IT WAS FIRST REPORTED BY THE WASHINGTON POST THE DOJ WAS INVESTIGATING BUSH OVER THE CAMPAIGN FUNDS SPENT ON “PRIVATE SECURITY”. 

THE SCOPE OF THAT INVESTIGATION IS NOT PUBLICLY KNOWN – 

AND HAS NOT RESULTED IN ANY CHARGES.

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