Former Rep. Cori Bush's husband indicted for wire fraud

Former Democrat Congresswoman Cori Bush is under the microscope after the recent announcement of criminal charges against her husband.

Bush’s husband has been charged with wire fraud, allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars in loads through various COVID-era small business relief programs.

Bush’s husband, Cortney Merritts, is now accused of falsifying business records to obtain more than twenty thousand dollars.

According to the Department of Justice, Merritts obtained the money under the Payment Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Load Program.

“Cortney Merritts, 46, of St. Louis, Missouri, was charged today by federal indictment with two counts of wire fraud for allegedly filing fraudulent applications with the Small Business Administration in 2020 and 2021 that allowed him to collect more than $20,000 in government funds under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP),” the Department of Justice said.

The statement from the Department of Justice reported that in one instance “Merritts fraudulently claimed” in an 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,” they alleged.

The Department of Justice also announced that the case would be under investigation by “the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General and the FBI Washington Field Office.”

“It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rami Sibay.”

While Merritts nor Bush has released a statement denying the allegations, the attorney representing Bush’s husband said Merritts will plead not guilty.

Justin Gelfand, the attorney on the case, also released a statement on the matter.

“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.,” Gelfand said.