Cori Bush's campaign tops half million dollars towards private security after calling to defund police

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Democrat Rep. Cori Bush defends 'defund the police' on CNN

Progressive Democrat Rep. Cori Bush told CNN she would ‘absolutely’ support defunding the police again, after being questioned if it hurt her party in the last election.

Rep. Cori Bush, one of the most outspoken federal politicians for defunding police, has now topped more than $500,000 in private security detail expenses, filings show.

The Missouri lawmaker's campaign spent $38,528.63 on "security services" between Oct. 20 and Nov. 28, according to its post-general report. The payments primarily flowed to the St. Louis-based Peace Security, which employs several "security operators" with military or law enforcement experience, despite her opposition to them, its website shows.

The new private security payments follow the $490,000 Bush's campaign had already spent on it for the 2022 election cycle. The campaign has now surpassed the half-million dollar mark for such services, a luxury most Americans can't afford. 

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Rep. Cori Bush's campaign has now topped $500,000 in private security payments throughout the 2022 cycle.  (Fox News)

And as Bush's campaign continues to dish large amounts into the security detail, she has remained one of the most vocal federal politicians pushing to defund police, which she has dug into several times. 

"I always tell [fellow Democrats], 'If you all had fixed this before I got here, I wouldn't have to say these things,'" the "Squad" member told Axios in February. 

Bush said the "defund the police" slogan isn't the problem and blamed Democrats for not delivering on the promise.

Fox News Digital first reported on Bush's security payments in July 2021, which prompted questions from CBS News about the cash and whether it was hypocritical to hire 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."

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Bush has repeatedly backed defunding police. (Getty Images)

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.

St. Louis' KMOV4 later discovered that Bush had hired two sheriff's deputies, Tylance Jackson and Maurice Thompson, as part of her security. 

The discovery led to the termination of Jackson and Thompson, who had failed to get approval for the side gig, St. Louis Sheriff Vernon Betts said at the time.

Bush said the "defund the police" slogan isn't the problem and blamed Democrats for not delivering on the promise. (CBSN)

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And while Bush says the security is due to threats against her, other "Squad" members — like many other politicians — also receive threats but steer far less campaign cash into the services.

Bush's campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.