Federal prosecutors filed criminal charges Thursday against the husband of former Missouri Congresswoman Cori Bush alleging he defrauded pandemic-era relief programs.

Cortney Merritts, 46, faces two counts of wire fraud for allegedly filing sham applications in 2020 and 2021 with the Small Business Administration, enabling him to collect money aimed at helping struggling businesses make payroll during the pandemic.

The charges were filed by Ed Martin, a former chairman of the Missouri Republican Party who was appointed a D.C. U.S. attorney position by President Donald Trump.

Merritts’ attorney told St. Louis Public Radio that he intends to plead not guilty.

According to the indictment, Merritts allegedly lied on applications and forged documents in order to receive a bigger loan from COVID-19 relief programs. When one loan was rejected because it was nearly identical to a previous application he submitted, he allegedly applied on behalf of a different business that he claimed he started in 2020.

Federal prosecutors say he recieved a loan for $20,832 that was forgiven by the government.

Bush served two terms representing a St. Louis-based seat in Congress before losing last year in the Democratic primary to Wesley Bell. She is not mentioned or accused of any wrongdoing in the indictment against her husband.

Controversy has swirled around the couple before when Bush hired Merritts as her security guard. A complaint was filed alleging Merritts’ employment with the Bush campaign violated federal law, but it was ultimately dismissed by the Office of Congressional Ethics.

Bush had attracted controversy for using campaign money to hire her husband, Merritts, as her security guard. But the Office of Congressional Ethics dismissed a complaint filed against Bush last fall alleging that her campaign’s employment of Merritts was a violation of federal election law.

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