Former Missouri Democratic Rep. Cori Bush's time in office came to an end after she lost last year's primary race to fellow Democrat Wesley Bell.

However, the one-time Squad member got more bad news this week when her husband was hit with fraud charges. 

Indictment alleges that Cortney Merritts abused COVID relief programs

According to The Washington Free Beacon, Cortney Merritts has been accused of perpetrating a scheme to illegally get COVID-era small business relief loans.

A Department of Justice (DOJ) press release asserts that Merritts collected "more than $20,000 in government funds under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)."

Former Democrat Rep Cori Bush’s husband has been charged by the DOJ with wire fraud for allegedly defrauding the government by lying about PPP loans pic.twitter.com/9EDqaFmg3X

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) March 20, 2025

This allegedly included a fraudulently obtained an $8,500 EIDL load from the Small Business Administration (SBA) in July of 2020 for a moving business known as Vetted Couriers.

Merritts is then said to have obtained a PPP loan by falsely claiming to have created a sole proprietorship in 2020 called "Cortney Merritts."

Bush was previously investigated over security payments to husband and friend

The DOJ press release explained that Merritts's case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein along with  Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rami Sibay.

The Free Beacon noted how this is not the first time Bush's husband has come under federal scrutiny, as the DOJ announced in January of 2024 that it was looking into his provision of security services.

That investigation concerned the more than $750,000 worth of funds that Bush's campaign spent on security in the preceding five years.

One of the security guards was her husband, while another was a close personal friend Nathaniel Davis III, who allegedly received some $150, 000.

Former lawmaker cited "relentless threats to my physical safety and life"

Bush attempted to justify the expenditures in a statement, saying, "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," she continued.

"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," the then-lawmaker went on to assert.