- Federal prosecutors indicted Cortney Merritts, the husband of former Rep. Cori Bush, on wire fraud charges related to COVID-19 relief funds. He allegedly submitted fraudulent loan applications to secure over $20,000.
- Merritts’ attorneys denied the allegations, stating he intends to plead not guilty.
- Bush is not named in the indictment but previously faced scrutiny over campaign payments to her husband for security services.
Full Story
Cortney Merritts, the husband of former U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, has been indicted on charges of wire fraud related to small business loans he received during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Merritts submitted fraudulent applications for COVID-19 relief funds, securing tens of thousands of dollars in government aid.
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According to an indictment filed in a Washington federal court, Merritts applied for two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in 2020 and 2021. These loans aimed to offer emergency relief to struggling small businesses during the pandemic.
Allegations inside the indictment
Prosecutors claimed Merritts, who owned a moving business called “Vetted Couriers,” applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) with the Small Business Administration (SBA) using false information. He reportedly received $8,500 on July 7, 2020.
A day later, Merritts submitted another loan application under a different business name, “Cortney Merritts.” Prosecutors said this application was nearly identical to his first and was rejected.
After the rejection, Merritts applied for a PPP loan in 2021, claiming his business, “Cortney Merritts,” generated $128,000 in gross income and employed 10 people. Prosecutors alleged these claims were fabricated.
Merritts allegedly misrepresented the number of employees and submitted fraudulent documents to secure a higher loan amount. He then allegedly received $20,832. The government later forgave the loan after he claimed he used the funds for payroll expenses.
What prosecutors say about the alleged scheme
The indictment said Merritts “attempted to file and caused the filing of materially false applications” in an effort to obtain EIDL and PPP funds for which he was not eligible. It claimed Merritts used the fraudulently obtained funds “for his own benefit and enjoyment.”
Merritts’ attorney, Justin Gelfand of Margulis Gelfand DiRuzzo & Lambson, denied the allegations and issued a statement:
“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.”
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Merritts’ wife, former Democratic Missouri Rep. Cori Bush, served two terms representing St. Louis before losing her seat in the 2024 Democratic primary. The indictment did not name her, nor did it allege any wrongdoing on her part in her husband’s case.
However, Bush previously faced scrutiny for paying her husband thousands of dollars from her campaign funds for security services.
Federal Election Commission (FEC) records showed she paid Merritts $60,000 in 2022 and $42,500 in 2023. The Office of Congressional Ethics dismissed a complaint alleging a violation of federal election laws.
In 2023, The Washington Post reported that the Department of Justice was investigating Bush over campaign spending on private security. The scope of that investigation remains unclear, and no charges have been filed.
