The husband of former Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) allegedly bilked taxpayers out of greater than $20,000 in a COVID mortgage scheme and used the cash for his “private profit and pleasure,” in line with the DC US Lawyer’s Workplace.
Cortney Merritts, 46, was charged in a federal indictment Thursday with two counts of wire fraud associated to allegedly fraudulent functions he filed with the Small Enterprise Administration in 2020 and 2021 that allowed him to gather – and by no means repay – authorities funds from the pandemic-era Financial Harm Catastrophe Mortgage Program (EIDL) and Paycheck Safety Program (PPP).
Merritts obtained an $8,500 EIDL mortgage from the SBA for his shifting enterprise in July 2020 after certifying that his firm, Vetted Couriers, had six staff and generated $32,000 in gross income the earlier 12 months, in line with the indictment.
The day after receiving the EIDL mortgage, Merritts filed one other utility with SBA via the identical program for a special enterprise, which he recognized solely as “Courtney Merritts” and claimed it employed ten folks and generated $53,000 in income.
The ex-congresswoman’s husband additionally requested an EIDL advance of as much as $10,000 primarily based on the variety of staff “Courtney Merritts” employed.
SBA rejected Merritts’ functions after figuring out that the paperwork had been “almost similar” to the prior one he submitted.
The DC US Lawyer’s Workplace, headed by Ed Martin, claims Merrits lied in regards to the variety of staff he had and his revenues within the rejected functions.
Almost a 12 months later, in April of 2021, Merritts as soon as once more sought taxpayer cash within the type of a PPP mortgage for “Cortney Merritts.”
This time he claimed the enterprise was created in 2020 and generated $128,000 in gross revenue that 12 months.
However these claims had been additionally fraudulent, in line with the indictment.
Nevertheless, the St. Louis man’s utility was not rejected and he obtained a $20,832 PPP mortgage.
“Merritts used the proceeds for his private profit and pleasure,” in line with federal prosecutors.
The indictment didn’t embody particulars of what precisely he blew via the money on.
“Primarily based on Merritts’ alleged fraudulent representations, the SBA forgave the PPP mortgage within the quantity of $20,832 and the $254.03 in curiosity,” the DC US Lawyer’s Workplace added.
An legal professional for Merritts instructed the Washington Submit that his consumer intends to plead not responsible.
“We stay up for litigating this case within the courtroom,” Justin Gelfand instructed the outlet.
Bush, the previous far-left “Squad” congresswoman who misplaced her Missouri 1st District seat within the 2024 election, is just not accused of any wrongdoing within the indictment.
In 2023, Bush was slapped with a Federal Election Fee and congressional ethics criticism over cash her marketing campaign paid Merritts to offer safety — despite the fact that he didn’t have the required license.
The “Defund the police” motion advocate allegedly “used marketing campaign funds for private use” when she shelled out $60,000 in 2022 for the companies of Merritts, whom Bush later married in February 2023, in line with the nonpartisan Basis for Accountability and Civic Belief (FACT).
On the identical time the Bush marketing campaign was paying Merritts for safety, it was spending greater than $225,000 on a St. Louis-based agency known as PEACE Safety and $50,000 on one other safety guard named Nathaniel Davis, Federal Election Fee data present.
The Justice Division was reportedly investigating Bush final 12 months over her use of cash supposed for members of Congress and candidates to spend on personal safety.
The standing of the investigation is unknown and the ex-congresswoman has not been charged.
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