Cortney Merritts charged with Covid relief fraud

Cortney Merritts, the husband of former Congresswoman Cori Bush, has been charged with fraud over COVID relief funds. He allegedly deceived the U.S. government out of $20,000 by filing false applications for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). Merritts, 46, submitted an application for an EIDL on April 3, 2020, claiming his business, Vetted Courier and Logistics, had six employees and made $32,000 in revenue before the pandemic. Soon after receiving money for that application, he submitted another request under his name, falsely stating that this business had 10 employees and $53,000 in revenue. This second application was declined due to similar information in both requests. He also applied for a PPP loan, claiming he started a business in 2020 with an annual revenue of $128,000. Authorities say these statements were untrue. The investigation is being conducted by the Small Business Administration and the FBI. Merritts' lawyer stated that he plans to plead not guilty and looks forward to fighting the case in court. Although Bush has not been charged, she has faced inquiries regarding the use of congressional funds to pay Merritts for security services. Last year, investigations were launched but the status remains unclear. Cori Bush, who was defeated in a primary election in 2024, previously faced significant criticism, particularly for her stances on Israel. Pro-Israel groups contributed substantial funds to support her opponent.