Cori Bush's Husband Charged with COVID-19 Relief Fraud

Cortney Merritts, the husband of former U.S. Congresswoman Cori Bush, has been indicted on charges of wire fraud for allegedly defrauding COVID-19 relief programs. Merritts is accused of filing fraudulent applications to the Small Business Administration in 2020 and 2021, securing over $20,000 from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Paycheck Protection Programs. He allegedly misrepresented business details, including employee numbers and revenue, to obtain loans which he used for personal benefit. The investigation, initiated during the Biden administration, is being led by U.S. Attorney Ed Martin Jr. Despite the charges against her husband, Bush has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Merritts' attorney has stated that he plans to plead not guilty and looks forward to contesting the charges in court.