BREAKING: Rep Cori Bush is under federal criminal investigation.

[demmiblue]

🚨BREAKING NEWS -- THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT is conducting a criminal probe into @CoriBush, according to six sources familiar with the investigation.

The Justice Department subpoenaed the House Sergeant at Arms for records relating to the misspending of federal security money.

MUCH MORE in @PunchbowlNews Midday, out in a bit.

(TEXT ALERT out a few minutes ago).

Link to tweet

[TSExile]

1. Oh no.

[Autumn]

2. Someone should let them know Bang Bang paid off taxes with campaign money. Maybe the doj will look into that.

Silly me, what was I thinking. Bang Bang is a republican therefore that's allowed.

[Bettie]

4. And wait until they find out about

the supporters of insurrection....but, of course, they are Republicans and they can't look 'partisan"...go figure.

[Fiendish Thingy]

9. Campaign finance violation are the jurisdiction of the FEC, not DOJ

And the FEC has no enforcement ability. The exception would be if fraud could be proven.

The allegations against Bush are far more serious.

[Autumn]

16. I don't see how hers are any more serious than Bang Bang paying her taxes and Bush paying someone for

security. The article claims the doj is conducting the criminal probe. And using campaign cash to pay personal back taxes is something that would seemingly be against the law.

THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT is conducting a criminal probe into @CoriBush, according to six sources familiar with the investigation.

[Fiendish Thingy]

17. Bush is not accused of misusing campaign funds

She’s being investigated for misusing security funds, which is why the SOA was subpoenaed.

I’m guessing there is much more to learn about this case.

Regardless of what we think, campaign fund violations are at least initially the jurisdiction of the FEC.

[ColinC]

3. The priorities of this Justice department are becoming suspect

[brooklynite]

7. So you're claiming the investigation of Cori Bush is political rather than warranted?

Any evidence?

[ColinC]

14. Having bad priorities doesn't make an investigation political or unwarranted

But I would like to see Kushner, MJT or the guy who leaked Hunter Biden’s tax returns held to the same standards as Trumps tax leaker and Cori Bush, etc…

[uponit7771]

21. The DOJs recent partisan and political actions delete benefit of the doubt for me

[Elessar Zappa]

10. Why shouldn't the Justice Department investigate alleged wrongdoing?

Political party shouldn’t matter to the DOJ.

[ColinC]

13. Not saying they shouldn't investigate any wrongdoing

In fact I’m saying they should. But they don’t. Point in case: MJT and Matt Gaetz, along with Kushner and a litany of others who have broken the law in clear daylight, still don’t have an eye batted at them for criminal investigations. But Cori Bush? Hunter Biden? The guy who leaked Trumps tax returns gets five years while the guy who leaks Biden’s tax returns is off Scot free? Am I seriously the only one noticing a pattern?

[uponit7771]

22. No you're not alone and people notice the DOJ apologists too.

[ColinC]

25. I also wonder if prosecuting your political rivals is becoming popular beyond the far right

[limbicnuminousity]

35. The IRS agents who leaked Biden's tax records

leaked it to their lawyers who in turn leaked to the press which somehow magically makes it okay. There are definite inconsistencies in prosecutorial ambitions.

[tritsofme]

5. I'm very excited about her primary challenger, Wesley Bell, hope this gives him a boost!

Looks like a great Democrat! We can do much better than Cori Bush!

https://bell4mo.com/

[LeftInTX]

6. What on earth is "Federal Security Money"?

Is it funds allocated for her safety?
For instance did she spend those funds on meals?

Or is "Federal Security Money" something else???

[AZSkiffyGeek]

12. Funds allocated for her safety

She married her security guard and allegedly continued to pay his salary as an employee. NYT says she was cleared in a Congressional ethics investigation.

[LeftInTX]

15. Yeah, this doesn't sound like that big of a deal. Just an investigation.

I read up a little bit. Apparently he may have been paid above the fair market value, but I don't what the fair market value is. They gave some stats on Fox News (That's all I could find)

2022:
$225,281 to the St. Louis-based PEACE Security firm
$60,000 to her husband.

I have no idea what is "fair market value" or whatever.....

______________

At the most, she will probably be fined.

[FBaggins]

18. On the contrary - it sounds like a very big deal

If the reporting is accurate - she not only spent above market value, she spent it on someone without the requisite qualifications... and then also spent money on a different company to provide the same service (meaning that he potentially wasn't doing the job)...

... and then marrying him hints that the funds may have just been diverted from campaign funds to her own use.

That doesn't mean that the accusations are true... but they are a big deal. And a bit beyond "just an investigation" since a federal grand jury has reached the subpoena stage.

[uponit7771]

23. This is way worst than taking 2 billion from the Saudis 🙄

[FBaggins]

24. "I can name somebody who did something worse" is not a legal defense

[Cha]

27. Rec. TY & I read what all the charges are..

Sounds like a BFD to me.
I’m on my phone now but will post them when I get home.

[uponit7771]

30. Pointing out DOJ partisanship was the point not defense, you know that

[Think. Again.]

26. Wait, are you serious?

Do you really think this is worse?

[uponit7771]

29. Of course not hince the roll eyes

[Think. Again.]

32. My apologies...

...I didn't notice the emoji.

[Deminpenn]

31. $60,000 is roughly equal to a GS9, step 1

at about $30/hr. That's an entry level federal job grade and pay in the Washington DC area.

This is the federal law enforcement pay table from 2022: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/22Tables/html/DCB%20(LEO)_h.aspx

[LeftInTX]

33. Yeah...as the whether having her husband on the payroll and also hiring a security company will be investigated.

I really don't know much about this and have no idea what the total fair market value should be allowed for congress members' security.

They will probably assure that he was working a reasonable number of hours etc. To me, it certainly did not seem like an eye popping amount. (If he was receiving like $500,000 year, it would have been more concerning)

I looked at two other cases in this thread and it sounds like they were using campaign cash for vacations etc.

She may be unfairly targeted. However, at this point, it is only an investigation and it may go nowhere. Or there may be something that we are not aware of.

[BannonsLiver]

8. ...

[Cha]

28. 🍿

I read the charges.. sounds to me like they need to be investigated.

Bush is cooperating.

[Arazi]

11. But but but Biden's DOJ is so partisan...

This sucks but if we’re going to support the DOJ going after any MOC malfeasance then Dems get the spotlight too.

What’s aggravating though is none of the insurrectionist MOCs appear to be in DOJ’s headlights. Come on Merrick Garland!

[triron]

19. Certainly appears DOJ bending over backwards for some House Republicans

But not democrats.

[Polybius]

34. She's also one of the very few who still says "defund the police"

Rep. Cori Bush isn't backing down on "defund the police" slogan