Democrat Cori Bush’s private security tops $500,000 after calling to defund police

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.

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 said in February.

Bush said the “defund the police” slogan isn’t the problem and blamed Democrats for not delivering on the promise.

Bush’s security payments were first reported in July 2021, which prompted questions 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.”

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.

Later news outlets 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.

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.