Cori Bush Under DOJ Investigation For Possible Misuse Of Federal Funds

Democratic Representative Cori Bush is under investigation by the Department of Justice for possible misuse of federal funds. The DOJ issued a subpoena for records for Bush's expenditures, and the issue appears to center around Bush hiring her husband as part of her security detail. While he DOES have experience in that area, the optics are certainly not great for the Democratic representative. Ring of Fire's Farron Cousins explains what's happening.

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*This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos.

It was confirmed this week that Democratic Representative Co Bush is now under a federal investigation by the Department of Justice for alleged misuse of federal funds. That's a big one, not gonna lie, that is a pretty serious investigation. Now, the allegations stem from the fact that Co Bush has her husband on her security team. Now, Cory Bush, obviously one of the newer members of the squad, has been subjected to all kinds of threats, just like the other members of the squad. It has been horrific. There is no denying. So she needed extra security and she claims that her husband has expertise in that area and experience in that area. So she hired him as part of the security detail. Now, let me read you co Bush's statement because obviously, uh, we do know subpoenas did come down this week to the House sergeant at Arms for documents related to this security detail.

So here is how Co Bush handled this. Once the story broke, she said, 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 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. Uh, said her husband had been retained 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. 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. I have complied with all applicable laws and house rules and will continue to prioritize the rules that govern us as elected officials.

So here's several different scenarios here. First scenario is that everything Cory Bush is telling us is fair and accurate and true, in which case, the investigation goes nowhere, nothing happens, right? Second one is that, okay, you hired your husband as security, the federal government through our, you know, system. We pay for part of your security. So yeah, the government is kind of paying your husband to act as your security detail. That's not illegal. If he is in fact providing those services and not, you know, sitting at home eating Cheetos, then that is a legitimate expenditure. So that's not illegal. That is not a crime. The optics of it at that point, that the optics are bad, right? I mean, even if you say you're paying in below the fair market rate, still the optics of it, it doesn't look good. It's not

A crime, but it doesn't look good. The other thing is that, you know, if you are having your husband on the detail, which you say you are, but you're paying him through either personal funds or through campaign funds, also not illegal. So, if what Co Bush is saying is true, none of this looks illegal, but obviously somebody somewhere saw this and said, Hey, wait a minute, this doesn't look right. So they're conducting an investigation. That's fair, okay? I'm not gonna sit here and say, this is bull crap. You know, they, some Republican is behind this. Maybe they are, maybe they're not. But if something looks fishy, go ahead and investigate. If there's nothing there, there's nothing there, and everybody moves on just fine.