Democratic members of the "Squad" in Congress continue to raise ethics concerns and red flags among watchdog groups, who have often urged government bodies to investigate their alleged misconduct.
The latest situation earning the ire of watchdogs is Rep. Cori Bush's (D-MO) newly announced marriage to a security guard for her campaign, despite her husband, Cortney Merritts, reportedly not holding a St. Louis private security license. Bush's marriage, which was quietly inked in January, is part of a string of alleged ethics issues for Squad members, which include the likes of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and five other Democrats, watchdogs say.
"The Squad members have become left-wing celebrities, and it's given them a level of protection," Peter Flaherty, CEO of the National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative watchdog, told the Washington Examiner. "There's a huge double standard." Flaherty added: "The media goes easy on them. In the case of the Justice Department, even when it's headed by Republicans, they don't want to go after a Squad member because they're afraid of the reaction."
