Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) has now spent more than $300,000 on private security as the progressive lawmaker continues to support movements to defund the police.
According to Federal Election Commission filings, Bush’s campaign reported spending $70,489 on security services between Jan. 1 and March 31. The newest report totals come after the Missouri Democrat reported spending $233,663 on security services in 2021, the FEC records show that she has paid out a total of $304,152 for security this election cycle.
Even though Bush continues to spend massive amounts on private security, she continues to support defunding the police. In August of last year Bush defending her stance saying,
“Defunding the police has to happen. We need to defund the police and put that money into social safety nets, because we’re trying to save lives.”
When asked whether she was being a hypocrite by making sure she had private security but not advocating for the same type of security for the American public she said,
“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.”
Violent crime in Missouri has been spiking in the last couple of years, with the latest FBI data showing that there 17,032 violent crimes in Missouri in 2020, an increase of 8,376 violent crimes from 2019. That trend is continuing into 2022.
Three cities in Missouri are ranked in the top ten most dangerous cities to live in nationwide. St. Louis is third in the nation when it comes to its violent crime rate. Kansas City and Springfield, also landed among the top ten according to new data from the FBI.
