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Rep. Cori Bush poured tens of thousands more into private security in the first quarter of 2022, pushing her security bills to over $300,000 as she continues to call for defunding the police.
The Democratic Missouri campaign reported spending $70,489 on security services between Jan. 1 and March 31, according to Federal Election Commission documents. The payments include $50,489 to Peace Security, $15,000 to Cortney Merrits and $5,000 to Nathaniel Davis.
Bush’s latest security checks follow the $233,663 his committee spent on services in 2021, according to FEC records. She has now shelled out $304,152 for security this election cycle.
CORI BUSH WON’T LEAVE ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ SLOGAN EVEN IF DEMS FEAR IT WILL BE POISON IN POLLS
Congresswoman Cori Bush talks about extending the eviction moratorium
(CBSN)
While the Bush campaign has issued the most recent payments, it has refused to rein in its calls for defunding law enforcement, which Democrats say will hurt the party in the 2022 election.
“I always say [fellow Democrats]”If y’all had this sorted out before I got here, I wouldn’t have to say those things,” the ‘Squad’ member told Axios in February.
Bush said the slogan “defund the police” is not the problem and pinned it on Democrats who are not keeping their promise.
Fox News Digital first reported on Bush’s security payments in July 2021, prompting questions from CBS News about the money and whether it was hypocritical to hire security while pushing for funding law enforcement.
Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., speaks during a press conference to discuss a bill outside the U.S. Capitol on March 11, 2021 in Washington.
(Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
“They would prefer that I die?” Bush asked. “Would you rather I died?” Is this what you want to see? Do you want to see me die? You know, because that could be the alternative.
CORI BUSH DEFENDS CALL TO DEFUND POLICE WHILE HAVING PRIVATE SECURITY: ‘YOU RATHER THAN I DIE?’
Bush said she would keep her safe because she’s had assassination attempts and has “too much work to do.”
“So swallow it, and the defunding of the police has to happen,” she added.
Activist Cori Bush speaks during a press conference Wednesday, August 5, 2020 in St. Louis.
(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
Shortly after Bush’s vigorous defense of the payments, St. Louis’ KMOV4 discovered through surveillance camera footage obtained that Bush had hired two sheriff’s deputies, Tylance Jackson and Maurice Thompson, as part of his security .
The discovery led to the firing of Jackson and Thompson, who had not secured approval for the side gig, St. Louis Sheriff Vernon Betts said at the time.
Bush has been a major critic of law enforcement and one of the strongest advocates of police defunding. She has mentioned that defunding the police is not a “radical” idea and praised St. Louis in April 2021 for its “historic” vote to take millions away from the police.
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“Today’s decision to suspend the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is historic,” Bush said after the vote. “This marks a new future for our city. For decades, our city has pumped more and more money into our police department under the guise of public safety, while massively underinvesting in the resources that will truly provide security. of our communities.”
The Bush campaign did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment on the continued payments.
Fox News’ Michael Lee and Cortney O’Brien contributed reporting.
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