Joe Holleman | Post-Dispatch

Political correspondent/columnist

The husband of former U.S. Rep. Cori Bush wants a federal court to dismiss felony charges filed against him earlier this year, claiming they are "influenced by politics instead of justice."

Cortney Merritts III filed motions on Friday in the U.S. District Court in Washington to dismiss two wire fraud charges. He has worked for his wife's campaign since before they married in February 2023.

Merritts was indicted in March for filing fraudulent applications in 2020 and 2021 with the Small Business Administration that allowed him to collect more than $20,000 in COVID-19 relief money.

The other dismissal motion asks for the charges to be dropped because they are not specific enough to allow Merritts to prepare an adequate def

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