Vanquished ‘Squad’ member’s nonprofit faces scrutiny amid political comeback

A nonprofit group started by former Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) is facing scrutiny as the “Squad” member attempts to mount a political comeback to regain the St. Louis-area seat that she was ousted from two years ago.

Bush is going up against incumbent Rep. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) in next month’s primary, a contest that could result in the race-baiting far-left firebrand returning to Congress to join the new class of democratic socialist radicals.

But the former Black Lives Matter organizer could be dogged by a scandal involving Politivist Power, Inc., an organization described as “a new 501(c)(4) organization uniting grassroots organizing with political strategy to fight oppression,” according to a May 2025 fundraising email.

Another email solicited donations for tornado relief. “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 said.

It seems there is no paper trail showing that Politivist Power properly obtained nonprofit status, opening the door to charges that Bush may have misled donors to the effort.

According to a Fox News Digital report, the outlet “could not identify any IRS record showing Poltivist Power had obtained or claimed tax-exempt status. 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.”

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Questions about Bush’s group have caught the attention of Missouri Attorney General Catherine L. Hanaway, who said earlier this month that her office is looking into Poltivist Power.

“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. “We do not have our own evidence of that, but that is what we are investigating.”

“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,” Fox News Digital reported.

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

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“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, a fundraising site for Democratic groups,” according to Fox News Digital. “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.”

The former “Squad” member has not been charged with any wrongdoing associated with the group.

Chris Donaldson

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