--- title: Investigating Cori Bush for Alleged Misuse of Campaign Funds description: Rep. Bush has denied any wrongdoing in a Justice Department investigation over her campaign's spending on security services. canonical: https://time.com/6590139/cori-bush-justice-department-investigation-security-spending/ author: Nik Popli article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-01-30T19:13:15.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-01-19T11:11:50.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Investigating Cori Bush for Alleged Misuse of Campaign Funds og:description: Rep. Bush has denied any wrongdoing in a DOJ investigation over her campaign's spending on security services. og:url: https://time.com/6590139/cori-bush-justice-department-investigation-security-spending/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4b5b0cd8b86dc0d8/698a445216d8842418c3cb32/GettyImages-1838206235.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Reps. Tlaib, Omar, And Bush Call For Ceasefire In Gaza og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Investigating Cori Bush for Alleged Misuse of Campaign Funds twitter:description: Rep. Bush has denied any wrongdoing in a DOJ investigation over her campaign's spending on security services. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4b5b0cd8b86dc0d8/698a445216d8842418c3cb32/GettyImages-1838206235.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Justice Department Investigating Cori Bush for Alleged Misuse of Campaign Funds > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=c279e6c5-f4da-4151-854a-aeb1bbdbc53f&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=c279e6c5-f4da-4151-854a-aeb1bbdbc53f&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=c279e6c5-f4da-4151-854a-aeb1bbdbc53f&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=c279e6c5-f4da-4151-854a-aeb1bbdbc53f&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1)  by [Nik Popli](https://time.com/author/nik-popli/)  ## Nik Popli Staff Writer Updated: Jan 19, 2026 11:11 AM UTCPublished: Jan 30, 2024 7:13 PM UTC  U.S. Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) speak at a press conference on the Israel-Hamas war outside of the U.S. Capitol on December 07, 2023 in Washington, DC. U.S. Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) speak at a press conference on the Israel-Hamas war outside of the U.S. Capitol on December 07, 2023 in Washington, DC. Kevin Dietsch—Getty Images  by [Nik Popli](https://time.com/author/nik-popli/)  ## Nik Popli Staff Writer Updated: Jan 19, 2026 11:11 AM UTCPublished: Jan 30, 2024 7:13 PM UTC The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into Democratic Rep. Cori Bush for allegedly misusing campaign money to spend on private security, the Missouri congresswoman confirmed in a statement Tuesday. Although the scope of the allegations were not immediately known, a congressional ethics inquiry had previously raised questions about her alleged use of campaign funds to hire her husband, Cortney Merritts, as her security. Federal law [bars lawmakers](https://www.fec.gov/regulations/113-1/CURRENT#:~:text=If%20a%20family%20member%20provides,services%20provided%20is%20personal%20use.) from paying family members to work in their official offices, unless they are providing “bona fide” services to the campaign. The Office of Congressional Ethics dismissed a complaint filed against Bush last fall after concluding that her husband had performed bona fide security work and was not overpaid. According to Federal Election Commission filings, Bush paid Merritts $60,000 in 2022 and $42,500 in 2023\. The couple got married in Feb. 2023. “As a rank-and-file member of Congress I am not entitled to personal protection by the House, and instead have used campaign funds as permissible to retain security services,” Bush said in a statement. “I have not used any federal tax dollars for personal security services.” She said she is “fully cooperating” with the investigation. The Justice Department declined to comment. Under federal election law, House members may use campaign funds to pay for private security for protection when not at the Capitol only if the money is used for “bona fide” security services. Bush, a former Black Lives Matter organizer whose district includes St. Louis, has played a key role in the progressive wing of the House Democratic caucus since her election in 2020, becoming a member of the group of Democratic lawmakers known as “the Squad.” Bush is currently running for re-election. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6590139/cori-bush-justice-department-investigation-security-spending/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6590139/cori-bush-justice-department-investigation-security-spending/"},"headline":"Justice Department Investigating Cori Bush for Alleged Misuse of Campaign Funds","datePublished":"2024-01-30T19:13:15.000Z","dateModified":"2026-01-19T11:11:50.000Z","description":"Rep. Bush has denied any wrongdoing in a Justice Department investigation over her campaign's spending on security services.","url":"https://time.com/6590139/cori-bush-justice-department-investigation-security-spending/","keywords":["Congress","News","News Desk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4b5b0cd8b86dc0d8/698a445216d8842418c3cb32/GettyImages-1838206235.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Nik Popli","jobTitle":"Staff Writer","url":"https://time.com/author/nik-popli/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4b5b0cd8b86dc0d8/698a445216d8842418c3cb32/GettyImages-1838206235.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Reps. Tlaib, Omar, And Bush Call For Ceasefire In Gaza","caption":"Reps. Tlaib, Omar, And Bush Call For Ceasefire In Gaza","creditText":"Kevin Dietsch—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/congress/","name":"Congress"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6590139/cori-bush-justice-department-investigation-security-spending/","name":"Justice Department Investigating Cori Bush for Alleged Misuse of Campaign Funds"}}]}] ```