Former Rep. Cori Bush’s husband was indicted Thursday for allegedly making fraudulent claims to access government loans.
Cortney Merritts was charged with two counts of wire fraud after he collected $20,832 in payments from the pandemic-era Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs by lying about his businesses and sending the Small Business Administration sham applications to receive the loans, according to Ed Martin, the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.
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Merritts also attempted to receive a loan from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program for up to $10,000, although the SBA rejected that request because it was nearly identical to a previously approved loan granted to Merritts.
The SBA programs were meant to help struggling businesses stay afloat during COVID-19. However, the ex-congresswoman’s husband allegedly abused the system, submitting falsified information about the number of employees he had and misrepresenting his purported companies’ worth to obtain the loans. Merritts used the funds, which he was not required to pay back, for his “personal benefit and enjoyment,” per court records.
He plans to plead not guilty, per the Washington Post.
Bush, a progressive Democrat who was ousted from her House seat last year, is not named in her husband’s indictment.
‘SQUAD’ DEMOCRAT CORI BUSH KEEPS HUSBAND ON PAYROLL WITH ‘WAGE EXPENSE’ PAYMENTS
She was the subject of a 2024 investigation by the Justice Department probing her campaign’s major spending on private security.
The investigation specifically covered whether Bush criminally misused campaign funds and whether she violated federal law by funneling over $137,000 to Merritts, who was employed as the then-congresswoman’s security guard.