Husband of Former Rep. Cori Bush Charged With COVID-19 Relief Fraud

Cortney Merritts faces federal wire fraud charges linked to allegedly fraudulent pandemic aid applications totaling more than $20,000.

Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) kisses husband Cortney Marritts prior to delivering her concession speech during a primary election watch party at Chevre Events in St. Louis, Mo., on Aug. 6, 2024. Michael Thomas/Getty Images

Cortney Merritts, husband of former Missouri Democratic Congresswoman Cori Bush, was indicted Thursday on federal charges alleging he fraudulently obtained more than $20,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Merritts is accused of submitting false applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) in 2020 and 2021 through two different pandemic assistance programs.

The indictment, announced on March 20 by U.S. Attorney Edward Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia, outlines two counts of wire fraud. Federal prosecutors allege Merritts deliberately submitted deceptive applications to both the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which were established to support businesses economically harmed by the pandemic.

According to the indictment, Merritts first received an $8,500 EIDL loan in July 2020 after falsely claiming his company, Vetted Couriers, had six employees and generated $32,000 in annual revenue.

Investigators say Merritts then immediately applied for additional EIDL funds, this time under his own name. In the second application, Merritts allegedly stated he employed 10 people and generated revenues totaling $53,000. The SBA, noticing similarities between the two submissions, rejected this second application.

In April 2021, prosecutors assert Merritts again allegedly defrauded the government, this time obtaining a PPP loan of approximately $20,800. To secure these funds, Merritts allegedly claimed he had established a sole proprietorship in 2020 that earned $128,000 annually. He supported this claim by allegedly submitting a fabricated tax form never actually filed with the IRS.

Authorities say Merritts used the PPP loan for personal expenses, contrary to program rules requiring the funds to be spent on business-related costs such as payroll. In July 2022, Merritts filed allegedly fraudulent paperwork to have the loan forgiven, falsely stating his business had 10 employees. The SBA subsequently forgave the loan amount of $20,832 and an additional $254.03 in accrued interest.

Justin Gelfand, Merritts’s attorney, told St. Louis Public Radio that his client intends to plead not guilty.

“This is only the government’s version of the story,” Gelfand said. “We look forward to litigating this case in federal court in Washington, D.C,” Gelfand said.

His attorney did not respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times on Friday.

Former Congresswoman Cori Bush, who lost her primary reelection bid in 2024, has not been charged or implicated in the indictment. Bush represented Missouri’s 1st congressional district and gained national attention for her progressive policy positions during her tenure.

COVID-19 relief fraud has been widespread nationwide, prompting federal authorities to aggressively investigate and prosecute cases. The SBA’s Office of Inspector General reported identifying billions of dollars in potentially fraudulent transactions since the pandemic began, making enforcement a high priority.

According to the Government Accountability Office, tens of millions of dollars intended for pandemic relief may have been improperly distributed or fraudulently claimed.