Cori Bush's campaign paid her husband for security services - but he doesn't have a private security license

FIRST ON FOX: Missouri Democratic Rep. Cori Bush's campaign doled out $60,000 in private security payments last year to Cortney Merritts, who she quietly married earlier this month. 

Merritts, however, pocketed the security payments despite not having a St. Louis private security license, which is needed to perform security functions in the area, Fox News Digital has discovered. Merritts also received the campaign's cash as it simultaneously paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to a St. Louis security firm and another individual for personal protection.

Fox News Digital filed a public records request with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department on Monday morning seeking information regarding Merritts' private security license. In response, a Sunshine Law administrator said there are "no responsive records" relative to the request, and Merritts does not have a current license. 

When asked if Merritts ever had a private security license, the administrator said that the "last security license issued to that individual expired in 2012." 

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The records search - which covered the city of St. Louis and its neighboring St. Louis County - encompasses Bush's entire congressional district. According to the St. Louis Metropolitan PD website: "With the exception of St. Louis Police Officers, all persons performing a security function in the City of St. Louis must be licensed to do so through the Private Security Section." Likewise, in St. Louis County, security officers must register with the same security section. 

Merritts also does not appear in a database of licensed security professionals in the Washington, D.C. area, Fox News Digital confirmed with the city's Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection. 

Bush's campaign pushed the security cash to Merritts as it disbursed large sums to PEACE Security, a St. Louis-based firm that employs several "security operators" with military or law enforcement experience, a cached version of its website states.

From January to late December 2022, Merritts collected a steady stream of $2,500 checks totaling $60,000 from Bush's campaign for security, her filings show. He was also reimbursed $2,359.59 for gas and travel. While Merritts cashed the checks, Bush's campaign paid PEACE Security $225,281.80 for personal protection, according to a review of her campaign records. Bush's committee also paid $50,000 to an individual named Nathaniel Davis for security during that time.

Merritts, meanwhile, says he's the owner of Vetted Movers on his LinkedIn profile. On Jan. 3, he even offered moving services to Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. 

"I'm at the Capitol offering to help Kevin McCarthy move his s--- out of the Speaker's office and back into his own," Merritts tweeted.

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St. Louis' KSDK reported Sunday night that Bush and Merritts recently tied the knot in a private ceremony. Following the report, Bush's office confirmed their marriage on Monday morning, saying they've been together since before Bush took office in 2021.

Before adding Merritts to her campaign's payroll, the outspoken 'Squad' member came under fire for dropping funds into private security while calling to defund the police.

Fox News Digital first reported on Bush's security payments in July 2021, prompting CBS News questions about the cash and whether it was hypocritical to hire personal security while pushing to strip law enforcement of their budgets. 

"They would rather I die?" Bush asked. "You would rather me die? Is that what you want to see? You want to see me die? You know, because that could be the alternative."

Bush said she would ensure she has security because she has had attempts on her life and has "too much work to do."

"So suck it up, and defunding the police has to happen," she added.

CORI BUSH DEFENDS CALLING TO DEFUND THE POLICE WHILE HAVING PRIVATE SECURITY: 'YOU WOULD RATHER I DIE?'

Bush's campaign ultimately paid over a half million dollars for private security during the 2022 election cycle, primarily to PEACE Security. 

Other 'Squad' members have put far less campaign cash into personal security expenses. Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, for example, reported roughly $65,000 for security services during the 2022 elections, a review of her filings shows.

Like Bush, Omar married someone she paid with donor cash. During the 2020 elections, Omar's campaign funneled nearly $3 million to the E Street Group, a Washington, D.C., consulting firm co-owned by her husband, Tim Mynett.

Omar initially denied romantic involvement with Mynett as the payments were underway. Mynett had even said that his ex-wife - who, in divorce filings, alleged the two were having an affair - was trying to ruin his career. 

ILHAN OMAR'S CAMPAIGN CASH TO CONSULTANTS DIPPED BY MILLIONS AFTER HALTING PAYMENTS TO HUSBAND'S FIRM

Omar later abruptly announced they had gotten married. The payments to the E Street Group continued, and Omar said removing her husband's firm from her campaign's payroll would be a "stupid thing to do." However, before the conclusion of the 2020 election cycle, Omar said her campaign was terminating its contract with the E Street Group following mounting criticism.

Since then, Omar's campaign has paid millions of dollars less to a handful of other firms for similar services, Fox News Digital reported earlier this month.

Meanwhile, according to pictures posted online, Mynett and Merritts appear to have become good friends.

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"Love these guys," Mynett tweeted last July. "Shouts to ⁦[Cortney Merritts] and Conan Harris for a great time celebrating ⁦[Cori Bush's] birthday last weekend."

Bush's campaign did not respond to a Fox News Digital inquiry on Merritts' security license and his payments as they disbursed large sums to a security firm.