Former Rep. Cori Bush’s Husband Indicted for Wire Fraud in COVID-19 Relief Scheme

Cortney Merritts, the husband of former Missouri Representative Cori Bush, has been indicted on two counts of wire fraud for allegedly misusing federal COVID-19 relief funds.

Prosecutors claim Merritts submitted fraudulent applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) in 2020 and 2021, securing over $20,000 in government aid.

According to the indictment, Merritts received an $8,500 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) in July 2020 for his moving business, Vetted Couriers, after stating it employed six workers and had earned $32,000 the previous year.

The following day, he submitted another EIDL application under his own name, claiming a different business with ten employees and $53,000 in revenue.

The SBA denied this request, citing similarities to his earlier submission. In April 2021, Merritts applied for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, asserting that his sole proprietorship, established in 2020, generated $128,000 that year.

This application resulted in a $20,832 loan, which was later forgiven along with its accrued interest. Federal prosecutors allege that Merritts used the funds for personal expenses.

His attorney, Justin Gelfand, has stated that Merritts intends to plead not guilty, emphasizing that the indictment is only the government’s account of events. Gelfand expressed confidence in contesting the charges in court.

Former Congresswoman Cori Bush, who lost her re-election bid in 2024, is not named in the case.

However, in 2023, her campaign faced scrutiny over payments totaling $60,000 to Merritts for security services, despite allegations that he lacked the necessary licensing.

This indictment is part of a larger federal crackdown on pandemic relief fraud. Since April 2024, the Department of Justice has charged over 3,500 individuals with similar crimes, recovering more than $1.4 billion in stolen funds.

The DOJ has vowed to continue efforts to investigate and prosecute those who exploited COVID-19 relief programs.