Former Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., who recently launched a comeback bid for her old seat, claimed she delivered ‘billions of dollars’ to Missouri’s 1st Congressional District while serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. However, public records reviewed by Fox News Digital tell a different story. During her failed re-election campaign, Bush’s fundraising claims for St. Louis skyrocketed from $41 million to $2 billion in less than a month. This discrepancy between her fundraising claims and the actual government funding for the district has raised questions about her campaign strategy and transparency.
Bush’s campaign submitted language for an ad touting just $41 million in ‘community project funding since 2021.’ Her campaign has not responded to Fox News Digital’s request to explain the 4,778% increase. Federal contract and grant records published by the Departments of Defense and Justice show that a majority of the funding came from those agencies. While in Congress, Bush consistently voted against National Defense Authorization funding, which included $48,812,351 in Department of Defense funding for research at Washington University, Saint Louis University, and Vandeventer Place Research Foundation, all located in St. Louis. Much of the funding that flowed into Bush’s district during her tenure supported programs at odds with her progressive platform, including police department upgrades and military contracts with The Boeing Company.
Bush’s claim that she delivered more than $2 billion to her district seems to include the nearly $49 million in DOD research grants she voted against. The district also received at least $6,020,147 from the Department of Justice to increase police department headcounts and purchase new equipment. Additionally, the district benefited from $1,286,634,821.76 in Defense Department contracts, primarily for military purchases with The Boeing Company. Bush also voted against former President Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, which passed in 2021 as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Much of the government funding for the district supported programs at odds with her progressive platform, including police upgrades and military contracts.
Bush has a long history of calling for ‘defund the police’ and ‘defund the Pentagon.’ Her former ‘Squad’ status and her recent comeback bid have raised scrutiny. The former Democratic Rep. was ousted in the Democratic primary in August 2024 by St. Louis County prosecutor Rep. Wesley Bell, who is a more moderate candidate backed by pro-Israel groups. Democratic Majority for Israel President Brian Romick criticized Bush’s fundraising claims, stating that she lied to her constituents and that such inconsistencies undermine her credibility. Bush’s campaign has not responded to questions about the discrepancy in her fundraising numbers, and she has not addressed the conflict between her progressive platform and the funding sources that flowed into her district. Her political stance and campaign strategy have come under increased scrutiny as a result of these revelations.