The Department of Justice (DOJ) is reportedly conducting a criminal probe of Democratic Missouri Rep. Cori Bush, who has repeatedly pushed to defund the police, after spending taxpayer money on private security for herself.
According to Punchbowl News, the Justice Department has subpoenaed the House Sergeant at Arms for records relating to the misspending of federal security money. The Daily Caller first reported in April that Bush and members of the far-left Democratic Party group in Congress called “the Squad” spent thousands of campaign funds on private security.
According to the Statement of Disbursements of the House records, Bush also spent taxpayer funds on a day of private security for herself between Jan. 1 to March 31. (RELATED: Rep. Cori Bush Wants To ‘Defund The Police’ But Spent Taxpayer Money On Private Security For Herself)
A GOP source just sent me this based on my story from last night on Rep. Cori Bush and the squad paying for private security despite calls to defund the police.
Her response here: pic.twitter.com/BRV5qcc5gz
— Henry Rodgers (@henryrodgersdc) April 20, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 31: Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) speaks during a news conference to announce a joint resolution to affirm the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment on Capitol Hill on January 31, 2023 in Washington, DC. The Equal Rights Amendment is a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution meant to guarantee equal rights for all citizens regardless of sex or gender. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 30: Congressional Progressive Caucus members Rep. Cori Bush (D-GA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) talk to reporters before a vote to keep the federal government open until early December outside the U.S. Capitol on September 30, 2021 in Washington, DC. Members of the Progressive Caucus have said they will vote against a bipartisan infrastructure bill unless a deal is sealed on legislation expanding the social safety net. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 08: U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) (C) speaks as (L-R) Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) listen during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol December 8, 2021 in Washington, DC. House Democrats held the news conference to introduce a resolution to remove Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) from her committee assignments over Islamophobic attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN). (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 07: (L-R) U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) speak at a press conference on the Israel-Hamas war outside of the U.S. Capitol on December 07, 2023 in Washington, DC. A group of Democratic lawmakers joined by members of Doctors Against Genocide called on a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Bush, a freshman Democrat who has vocally pushed to defund the police, spent over $30,000 on her own security, according to her April Quarterly 2021 financial report.
- On Jan. 18, 2021, Bush spent $1,060.00 on security from Whole Armor Executive Protection in Bowie, Maryland.
- On Jan. 21, 2021, Bush spent $5,000 on security from Nathaniel Davis, Jr in her home state.
- On Jan. 25, 2021, Bush spent $530.00 on security from Nathaniel Davis in Palo Alto, Calif.
- On Feb. 17, 2021, Bush spent $7,743.75 on security from RS&T Security Counseling LLC in New York City.
- On Feb. 25, 2021, Bush spent $5,000 on security from Sandler, Reiff, Lamb, Rosenstein & Birk in Washington DC.
- On Feb. 26, 2021, Bush spent $5,812.00 on security from RS&T Security Counseling, LLC in NYC.
- On March 15, 2021, Bush spent $5,000 on security from Nathaniel Davis Davis, in Saint Louis, Missouri.
- On March 15, 2021, Bush spent $2,456.25 on security from RS&T Security Consulting LLC in NYC.
Bush sent out a tweet in Dec. 2020 criticizing former President Barack Obama for not calling to defund the police. (RELATED: ‘The Squad’ Pushes To ‘Defund The Police’ While Spending Thousands On Private Security To Protect Themselves)
“With all due respect, Mr. President — let’s talk about losing people. We lost Michael Brown Jr. We lost Breonna Taylor. We’re losing our loved ones to police violence. It’s not a slogan. It’s a mandate for keeping our people alive. Defund the police,” Bush said in the tweet.
The Daily Caller contacted Bush’s office about the reported DOJ criminal probe, to which Bush later released a statement: “First and foremost, I hold myself, my campaign, and my position to the highest levels of integrity. I also believe in transparency which is why I can confirm that the Department of Justice is reviewing my campaign’s spending on security services. We are fully cooperating in this investigation, and I would like to take this opportunity to outline the facts and the truth. Since before I was sworn into office, I have endured relentless threats to my physical safety and life. As a rank-and-file member of Congress I am not entitled to personal protection by the House, and instead have used campaign funds as permissible to retain security services. I have not used any federal tax dollars for personal security services. Any reporting that I have used federal funds for personal security is simply false. In recent months, right-wing organizations have lodged baseless complaints against me, peddling notions that I have misused campaign funds to pay for personal security services. That is simply not true. I have complied with all applicable laws and House rules—and will continue to prioritize the rules that govern us as federal elected officials. In particular, the nature of these allegations have been around my husband’s role on the campaign. In accordance with all applicable rules, I retained my husband as part of my security team to provide security services because he has had extensive experience in this area, and is able to provide the necessary services at or below a fair market rate. These frivolous complaints have resulted in a number of investigations, some of which are still ongoing. The Federal Election Commission and the House Committee on Ethics are currently reviewing the matter, as is the Department of Justice. We are fully cooperating in all of these pending investigations. In September of last year, after conducting a months-long investigation, the Office of Congressional Ethics found no wrongdoing and voted unanimously to dismiss the case. I look forward to this same outcome from all pending investigations. I am under no illusion that these right-wing organizations will stop politicizing and pursuing efforts to attack me and the work that the people of St. Louis sent me to Congress to do: to lead boldly, to legislate change my constituents can feel, and to save lives.”