Cori Bush, Democrat demanding eviction halt, was sued for not paying rent

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"Squad" member Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri, who has been demanding a halt in evictions since last week, was sued for not paying thousands of dollars in rent in 2015.

In early June 2015, the Circuit Court of St. Louis County, Missouri ordered Bush to pay $3,167.25, including court costs, to the plaintiff Trotwood Downs and Brittany Town Homes, state court records reviewed by Fox News show. 

Attorney Randall Reinker, who represented Trotwood Downs and specializes in "landlord/tenant matters for individual and group property owners," told Fox News that as a result of Bush not paying the rent, she was issued a "general execution" and evicted from the property later that month. 

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Bush has been evicted at least two other times, according to a letter that she sent last week to her House colleagues urging them to extend the moratorium before leaving for August recess, noting that she was previously "forced" to live in her car with her two children. 

A Fox News reporter attempted to ask Bush questions Tuesday afternoon about the moratorium and her three evictions while she was speaking to other Democratic senators outside the Capitol, including Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., but one of her staff members attempted to block the camera and said she was not taking questions. 

In another video, the Fox News reporter asked Bush about the circumstances involving her evictions, prompting a staffer to say, "We aren't taking press right now, man. She's meeting with Senators." The staffer, who was visibly irritated by the reporter attempting to ask another question, said, "Do a Google search."

Bush has been using her Twitter account and appearances outside the U.S. Capitol to protest against the expiration of the federal eviction moratorium that took place on Saturday. This past Friday evening, Bush took to Twitter to blast her Democratic colleagues for leaving town for  August recess versus staying in town to vote for an extension of the moratorium.

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"Many of my Democratic colleagues chose to go on vacation early today rather than staying to vote to keep people in their homes," Bush tweeted. "I’ll be sleeping outside the Capitol tonight. We’ve still got work to do."

"Earlier today, I sent a letter to my colleagues stressing the urgency of extending the eviction moratorium. Many of them failed to meet this moment," she continued in another tweet. "I’m inviting them now to join me in sleeping outside the Capitol in a push to extend the moratorium. It’s not too late."

On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a new 60-day ban on evictions for certain renters, specifically those living in counties that have "substantial and high levels" of coronavirus infections as of Aug. 1. 

"The emergence of the delta variant has led to a rapid acceleration of community transmission in the United States, putting more Americans at increased risk, especially if they are unvaccinated," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. "This moratorium is the right thing to do to keep people in their homes and out of congregate settings where COVID-19 spreads."

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Bush reacted to the announcement by tweeting, "Our movement moved mountains."

Rep. Bush's office did not respond to Fox News' request on how the 2015 lawsuit against her for not paying rent impacts her views on the eviction moratorium.

Fox News' Matt Wall contributed reporting.