Missouri AG opens inquiry into Cori Bush non-profit with no IRS tax-exempt record

JEFFERSON CITY, July 26. Missouri Attorney General Catherine L. Hanaway has opened an investigation into Poltivist Power Inc., a non-profit linked to former Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., after no IRS record confirming the group's claimed 501(c)(4) status could be found. Bush solicited donations for the organization following a tornado that struck the St. Louis area and killed at least four people, characterizing the group as a registered social welfare organization. She has not been formally charged with any wrongdoing.

Gaps in the paper trail

Bush described Poltivist Power in fundraising emails as "a new 501(c)(4) organization uniting grassroots organizing with political strategy." Fox News Digital identified no IRS record showing the group had obtained or applied for tax-exempt status. No 990 form filing appears in the public record.

The organization's domain, Poltivistpower.com, was first purchased on April 1, 2025, records show. A Delaware incorporation filing dated March 2025 listed the entity as an "exempt" corporation, a designation Delaware reserves for organizations that meet the requirements of Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code. That classification requires IRS recognition. Poltivist Power also appeared on ActBlue Civics, a fundraising platform for Democratic groups that similarly requires tax-exempt status to list.

Bush did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital on whether the group had received donations, why no 990 had been filed, or what activities the organization conducted.

The attorney general's inquiry

Hanaway said her office began looking into whether Bush personally benefited from fundraising tied to tornado relief efforts. The investigation was prompted after a local news station reported that donors said their contributions, intended for tornado relief, had been directed to political activity instead.

"We do not have our own evidence of that, but that is what we are investigating," Hanaway said.

Bush's fundraising emails included a disclaimer stating that contributions to Politivist Power were not affiliated with Politivist Action PAC and were not political donations, separating the non-profit from a political action committee sharing a similar name.

Bush's record and departure from Congress

Bush arrived in Congress in 2021 and aligned with a progressive bloc that included Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. Her criticism of U.S. policy toward Israel during its war with Hamas in Gaza became a central issue in her 2024 Democratic primary against challenger Wesley Bell, a race she lost. She has remained active in progressive politics locally since leaving office.

Poltivist Power's listing on ActBlue Civics remained active as of the reporting.