Defeated progressive ‘Squad’ lawmaker in hot seat for non-profit’s missing paper trail

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SPLC director grilled on alleged fraud and paying extremists

Rep.Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, accuses the Southern Poverty Law Center of fraud and hypocrisy.Jordan states the SPLC, working with the Biden Justice Department, saw donations jump from $51 million to $133 million in one year, exploiting events like the Charlottesville rally to mislead donors.

Months before losing re-election, former Rep.Cori Bush, D-Mo., touted the work of her non-profit to donors even though records indicate the organization may have never been registered as a tax-exempt organization.

Bush described Poltivist Power Inc.as “a new 501(c)(4) organization uniting grassroots organizing with political strategy to fight oppression,” in a fundraising email.

“My team and I are on the ground, and we could use your support.Can we count on you to donate to our tornado fund today so we can continue our relief efforts?” Bush wrote.

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Former Rep. Cori Bush at the U.S. Capitol

Former Rep.Cori Bush, D-Mo., attends a news conference in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.(Allison Robbert/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Bush made the same characterization in a second fundraising email sent weeks later.

While not proof of wrongdoing, the lack of a paper trail for Bush’s organization raises questions about whether the former “Squad” member misled donors during her time in office.

Without reporting, it’s unclear how much the group fundraised.

Bush, who first arrived to Congress in 2021, was known for her progressive stances that grouped her with fellow Democrats like Reps.Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.

Among them, Bush began taking a critical view of the U.S.relationship with Israel amid its protractedwar with Hamas in Gaza.Her criticisms became a centerpiece topic in her 2024 primary against Democratic challenger Wesley Bell — a race she lost.

Now out of office, Bush has remained involved in progressive politics in her local scene.

When approached about Poltivist Power Inc.�t yet reported a 990 and about the nature of its activities.

The organization’s domain,Poltivistpower.com, was first purchased on April 1, 2025, records show.Bush announced the creation of the group shortly after a tornado struck the St.Louis area, killing at least four people and causing widespread damage.

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WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 22: Rep.Cori Bush, D-Mo., speaks to reporters after a House vote on Capitol Hill on Friday, Oct.22, 2021 in Washington, DC.(Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

“The Politivist team is on the ground, providing supplies, checking on families, and showing up for those who’ve been left behind,” Bush said.

Since then, in addition to not having a filing recorded with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the group seem to have wrongly filed paperwork with Delaware’s Department of State and with ActBlue Civics, afundraising site for Democratic groups.

In its March 2025 Delaware incorporation filing, Poltivist Power was registered as an “exempt” corporation, a designation Delaware says is reserved for entities that meet the requirements of Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code.

In both cases, the application requires tax-exempt status with the IRS.The organizationis still listedon ActBlue Civics.

Notably, Bush’s fundraising emails, in which she highlighted the organization, also included a disclaimer clarifying that “Contributions to Politivist Power are not affiliated with Politivist Action PAC and are not political donations.” The note distinguishes the non-profit from a dedicatedfundraising groupby the same name.

Despite Bush’s departure from Congress, enough anomalies about Politivist Power have surfaced to catch the attention of Missouri Attorney General Catherine L.Hanaway earlier this month.

She announced her office would look into whether Bush had personally benefited from her fundraising efforts during the tornado recovery and the work that Politivist allegedly did at the time.

“The investigation started when a local news station reported that people had reported to it that contributions they had made for a tornado relief fund had actually gone to her political activity,” Hanaway said in a statement about the investigation.

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