Cortney Merritts, Husband of former congresswoman Cori Bush charged with wire fraud

Cortney Merritts, 46, faces two counts of wire fraud for allegedly filing sham applications in 2020 and 2021 with the Small Business Administration.

March 20, 2025 at 6:42 p.m. EDTYesterday at 6:42 p.m. EDT

3 min

(Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

By Perry Stein

The husband of former congresswoman Cori Bush (D-Missouri) has been charged in connection with more than $20,000 in payments from the pandemic-era Paycheck Protection and Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs, according to an indictment filed in D.C. federal court on Thursday.

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Cortney Merritts, 46, faces two counts of wire fraud for allegedly filing sham applications in 2020 and 2021 with the Small Business Administration, enabling him to collect money aimed at helping struggling businesses make payroll during the pandemic.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/03/20/cori-bush-busband-indicted-covid-fraud/