Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis, says her campaign is “fully cooperating” on a Department of Justice investigation into her campaign’s spending on security service. 

“First and foremost, I hold myself, my campaign, and my position to the highest levels of integrity. I also believe in transparency, which is why I can confirm that the Department of Justice is reviewing my campaign’s spending on security services,” said Bush in a statement.

She went on to explain what she says are the facts and truth around her security spending. 

“Since before I was sworn into office, I have endured relentless threats to my physical safety and life. 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. 

The statement also states she has not used any federal tax dollars for personal security services. She said any reporting that she used federal funds for personal security is “simply false.”

Bush, who just launched her re-election Saturday with supporters at her campaign headquarters in Northwoods, has been a target of conservative watchdogs over her spending on security, and Republican critics have accused her of hypocrisy for the expenses at the same time she’s been associated with rhetoric to “defund the police”.

“In particular, the nature of these allegations have been around my husband’s role on the campaign. In accordance with all applicable rules, I retained my husband as part of my security team to provide security services because he has had extensive experience in this area, and is able to provide the necessary services at or below a fair market rate,” Busch said in the statement.

The probe was first reported by Punchbowl News, which said the Justice Department was looking into the misuse of her Member Representation Allowance, and comes a day after the Clerk of the House announced Monday that the House Sergeant at Arms had been subpoenaed by a grand jury for documents

Bush, who just launched her reelection bid Saturday with supporters at her campaign headquarters in Northwoods, has been a target of conservative watchdogs over her spending on security, and Republican critics have accused her of hypocrisy for the expenses at the same time she’s been associated with rhetoric to “defund the police."

The St. Louis Post Dispatch reported last year that the Office of Congressional Ethics dismissed a complaint filed against Bush for employing as a security guard a man she later married. 

St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell left the U.S. Senate race last fall to challenge Bush in the Democratic primary in August.

"A DOJ investigation into the potential misuse of public funds is a serious matter. As a prosecutor, I understand that Rep. Bush is entitled to due process. It is my hope that Rep. Bush will cooperate fully with the investigation and be transparent with the public in responding to the legitimate concerns they are likely to have,” Bell said in a statement. “I entered this race because I believe the people of this district deserve a representative they can trust who will show up and get results for them. I feel more strongly about that than ever."