Cori Bush asked supporters to help St. Louis tornado victims through a new nonprofit bearing her political brand. More than a year later, the public still cannot see how much that appeal raised or where the tornado money went.

Missouri’s attorney general has now opened an investigation into whether funds solicited for tornado relief moved into political activity or personally benefited Bush. A recent review of the case described two fundraising emails signed by Bush after the deadly May 2025 tornado tore through St. Louis. The messages introduced Politivist Power as a new 501(c)(4) organization combining grassroots activism with political strategy, claiming her team was helping residents on the ground and asking recipients to donate to a tornado fund.

Each solicitation carried a disclaimer stating that contributions to Politivist Power were separate from Politivist Action PAC and not political donations. This distinction is critical given the relationship between the nonprofit and the PAC. Federal election filings reveal repeated financial transactions between Politivist Power and Politivist Action PAC, including $6,300 in cash receipts across three transactions during 2025 and approximately $24,927 in in-kind contributions. The PAC’s records also show salaries paid to Bush and her husband, Courtney Merritts, during 2025.

The Internal Revenue Service requires organizations operating under section 501(c)(4) to submit Form 8976 within 60 days of formation, but no public IRS records show Politivist Power has obtained tax-exempt status or filed annual returns. Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway stated her office is examining whether tornado relief funds were diverted to political activity or personal benefit, though the investigation has not yet found evidence of wrongdoing.

Donors deserve transparency: total receipts, expenditures, and clear documentation of transfers between Politivist Power and its affiliated political committee. The public accounting Bush’s donors deserve remains missing.