ST. LOUIS, Missouri — Leaked audio of a phone call between St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell and U.S. Rep. Cori Bush from last summer reveals how close the two were at the time, and suggests Bush was growing suspicious that he might soon challenge her.
The recording, which was obtained and authenticated by 5 On Your Side, begins midway through the phone call, which occurred shortly after a June 7 story ran in the St. Louis Post Dispatch. The exact date of the phone call is unknown, but neither Bush nor Bell's campaign disputes any of the remarks captured in the nine-minute recording.
Last summer, Bell had filed paperwork to open a federal election campaign to run in the Democratic race against Lucas Kunce in the U.S. Senate primary contest. His launch was overshadowed by the AFL-CIO endorsing Kunce on the eve of his campaign announcement.
During their call, Bush encourages Bell to stay in the Senate race to continue running against Hawley and offers to endorse him against Kunce. Bell doesn't outright refuse her endorsement, but intimates that it might not help him in "Missourah."
At some point early in the phone call, Bush (or someone in very close proximity to her) begins recording the conversation, apparently without Bell's knowledge. Over the course of the next nine minutes, the two progressive politicians discussed their strategies on how to win statewide races, and sought to reassure each other that they were friends and not enemies.
In the original news story that sparked the conversation, political columnist Joe Holleman quoted Ed Rhode, a longtime Democratic strategist, who speculated that perhaps "...Mr. Bell is looking to raise his profile for a run against Congresswoman Cori Bush next year."
"Don't even think for even a second that that's the case," Bell told Bush. "And I'm telling you right now. I'm telling you on my word I am not running against you. That is not happening."
Bell's campaign said he was telling the truth at the time, which was more than four months before Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel.
"In the summer of 2023, Wesley Bell had no intentions to run against Cori Bush," his campaign manager Jordan Sanders said. "He switched races and decided to run against her after being encouraged by stakeholders at the local, statewide, and national level."
The incumbent Democrat, who immediately called for Israel to stand down in a ceasefire on Oct. 7, predicted her stance against Israel's war with Hamas would come at a steep political cost. In the months that followed, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and other pro-Israel PACs lined up to spend a combined $7.6 million boosting Bell's bid.
Bush's campaign has sought to cast their support for her opponent as a shadowy Republican initiative to silence a progressive. While several GOP donors have contributed to pro-Israel causes, many wealthy Democrats have too.
Indeed, several Democratic party leaders have since publicly backed Bell's campaign, including former Gov. Bob Holden, former Missouri Democratic Party chair Jean Peters Baker, and state senators Doug Beck and Tracy McCreery.
Bush herself thought Bell was well-suited for federal office, as long as he didn't run against her.
"What this recording clearly shows is that Rep. Bush's attacks on Wesley are dishonest and cynically political, and she knows it -- given that she offered to endorse him," Bell's campaign manager Jordan Sanders said.
The recording also shows Bell and Bush taking turns criticizing Holleman and Jane Dueker, a lobbyist and former political candidate, who was quoted in the same story.
"You ever heard her say anything nice about any Black politician?"
"Oh, absolutely not," Bush replies.
"(Dueker) goes on daily rampages against me," Bell said. "It's only when her husband got considered for the federal court that she started chilling out."
"Holleman is a hack," Bell said. "He is a hack. Like, and the proof of it this: name one legitimate reporter that would run anything even close to that."
"This is stupid," Bell reiterates. "Don't even think for even a second that that's the case. And I'm telling you right now. I'm telling you on my word I am not running against you."
Bush sought reassurances from Bell that he wouldn't challenge her, and suggested her last primary opponent, state Sen. Steve Roberts, had played a similar strategy.
"I ain't no Steve Roberts," he replied.
"I know you're not," Bush said. "I know you're not."
Bush's campaign did not respond to requests seeking comment on this story but also did not dispute any of the contents from the call.
Before they hung up, Bush offered to use her connections on Capitol Hill to help Bell's Senate campaign.
"If you want to connect with the (Sen. Elizabeth) Warren's and the (Sen.) Bernie's (Sanders) and the (Sen. Ed) Markey's, or if you want to... or if you going a different route and you want to connect with some of the more centrist ones. Like just figure out who it is, because I can like... I can reach out to them and make those connections," Bush offered.
Bush issued the following statement in response to the audio leak Monday night: "This is just another example of why my opponent can’t be trusted. As made clear in this audio, it’s clear that his word means nothing. He told me, without hesitation or equivocation, that he was not going to drop out of his race to unseat Josh Hawley and run against me — and even said he couldn't handle running for reelection every two years. If someone I once considered a friend, is willing to lie straight to my face, he's willing to lie to the people of St. Louis who he's running to represent.”
Recent polls show undecided voters are breaking in Bell's direction. Early voting is already open. The polls close at 7 p.m. next Tuesday on Aug. 7.
Below is the full, unedited transcript of the phone call between U.S. Rep. Cori Bush and St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell from the summer of 2023:
Wesley Bell: "...give it oxygen. Matter of fact, let 'em know. You could tell them I reached out to you because I want to talk to you. I reached out to you beforehand.
Cori Bush: Right. Exactly. Exactly.
Wesley Bell: Right now just know... Just there's some stuff that I know because I just... just... just from being in this game long enough. Those are...They're... Holleman is a hack. He is a hack. Like, and the proof of it is this: name one legitimate reporter that would run anything even close to that.
Cori Bush: Exactly.
Wesley Bell: Like this is stupid.
Cori Bush: Exactly. No, you're right. You're right. You're right.
Wesley Bell: Don't think... Don't even think for even a second that that's the case. And I'm telling you right now. I'm telling you on my word I am not running against you.
Cori Bush: Well...
Wesley Bell: That is not happening.
Cori Bush: Yeah, well, I appreciate that. I'm gonna... But I just I want, like, I need other people to not think... And there. And I think the reason why people are asking me about it is because this is what Steve Roberts did. He said he was running for one seat, and then he switched at the end and ran... you know,
Wesley Bell: I ain't no Steve Roberts.
Cori Bush: So I know you're not. I know you're not. that but you... But you know.
Wesley Bell: Tishaura. Tishaura. That's my girl. That's your girl, too. Y'all my people. Like, I don't do that. Okay.
Cori Bush: Okay. Yeah. Yeah...
Wesley Bell: What I'm saying is don't let... If they call you just be like, 'Yeah, no, ignore that stuff. So that's not true. That's them trying to divide us.' Because that's really what it is.
Cori Bush: Yeah, absolutely.
Wesley Bell: Absolutely what it is. Don't feed into it. And I'm saying what I'm saying is when people call you don't give them the impression that he is even thinking about it. Because then they'll start feeding on that and thinking, 'Oh, maybe there's something to it.'
Cori Bush: Right, right. Right. Okay, well, well, that gives me something to... Yeah, yeah. That makes sense. That makes sense.
Wesley Bell: Joe Holleman.
Cori Bush: And yeah, him and him and that ol' raggedy, yeah...
Wesley Bell: [Unintelligible] the first thing. You ever heard her say anything nice about any Black politician?
Cori Bush: Oh, absolutely not.
Wesley Bell: She goes on daily rampages against me. It's only when her husband got considered for the federal court that she started chilling out. And we the ones when she when she ran for county executive, and the women's caucus got her.
Cori Bush: Yeah buddy.
Wesley Bell: I think a whole bunch of us [unintelligible] As a matter of fact, I think you did, too. this.
Cori Bush: Mmhmm. Yeah.
Wesley Bell: So yeah, she's always had it out for us since I ran against Bob, because that's her boy. That was all part of their cabal.
Cori Bush: Oh...
Wesley Bell: And Joe was a part of that too. Joe's full of shit.
Cori Bush: Oh... yeah. Oh, yeah. Well. Ok.
Wesley Bell: Well... we grinding. And I don't speak about losing.
Cori Bush: No.
Wesley Bell: But it's just... just to be really while we talking. If that was... this was not to work out, my seat was up in two years. And that's when I'd been running. But that's why this was such an opportune move for me to go statewide, because I'm in the middle...
Cori Bush: Yeah, you're... right.
Wesley Bell: Like, I'm six months in, So I'm like this, let's go. Let's go.
Cori Bush: No, absolutely. Because you got that... you have that safety, which is good. But, you know, we still... We still want you to...
Wesley Bell: I'd say this too, even if you wasn't in that race like, real talk, even if you wasn't, I don't think I'd want to anyways. Running every two years? I don't know how...
Cori Bush: Look, it ain't no joke.
Wesley Bell: Oh, man... And you constantly doing it? [Unintelligible]
Cori Bush: It ain't no joke.
Wesley Bell: But to be clear, there ain't... That should be the last thing on your mind. That is not happening.
Cori Bush: And well, yeah, I appreciate it.
Wesley Bell: [Unintelligible]
Cori Bush: I know, I know. I know.
Wesley Bell: Yeah, and I ain't gonna... you know, whatever.
Cori Bush: Well, and then just think about it. Like I said, if you decide at some point that you do want the endorsement, then okay. We can, you know, we can... we can talk about that. But I just want you to like you, I think...
Wesley Bell: I got you. Missouri and Missourah.
Cori Bush: Yeah, buddy.
Wesley Bell: I got you. You're right. But it's still nice to know, that you're supportive and saying, you know, saying good things and positive things.
Cori Bush: Oh, yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. And I'm gonna connect you to some, you know, I'm gonna talk to... I don't know if you've talked to the Senate committee yet, the Democratic Senate committee, but um... the only person that's on Chuck Schumer's radar is Lucas because that's, you know, the only person that had been in the race. So next week, I'm gonna talk I'll talk to him and let them know that you were in the race too so that they can, you know, figure out what they want to do.
Wesley Bell: I appreciate it. Absolutely.
Cori Bush: Absolutely. We got to... We got to help one... Look, look, I know what... I know what I need in Congress, in the Senate. So... and people can say whatever they want to say, but I'm the one that's there, and I'm the one that's got to deal with Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt. I know what... I know what kind of help I need. So...
Wesley Bell: I will say this too. What people don't realize is that Josh Hawley does not excite Republicans. And I'm talking about moderate Republicans.
Cori Bush: Oh no, he doesn't.
Wesley Bell: So you can already expect with Trump and DeSantis going at each other, you can already expect a lower turnout already, because those kinds of nasty battles bring down turnout, and then Hawley is gonna bring down turnout. I got enough Republicans already saying, 'Hey, can't get out in public, but yeah, I'm a supporter. I'm gonna vote for you.' And so what we know is the way to get there is Black vote, to turn out in the Black vote and the progressive votes.
Cori Bush: Yep.
Wesley Bell: Yeah. There's two people who've done that. And it's two of them and it's me and you. And so when you look at the way we get this election on the margins, that's exactly what we gonna do. We got a record turnout in every election We're gonna take that same approach and get that turnout. And that's where we find those margins, and that's what we did. And so I'm fully... [unintelligible]. It's like running against Bob again.
Cori Bush: Right...
Wesley Bell: Nothing could get me more motivated. Yep.
Cori Bush: Yep. You right about that.
Wesley Bell: Literally.
Cori Bush: But the thing is, the country wants to see somebody run against Josh Hawley, a Black person running against Josh Hawley.
Wesley Bell: Exactly. Exactly.
Cori Bush: So this is big.
Wesley Bell: Exactly what I've seen is, is that Lucas was out there. He was... You know, I'm not gonna knock him. He was doing the right things. He's moving. He's working. But there wasn't that excitement.
Cori Bush: Right?
Wesley Bell: And nobody was like, 'Oh my god. We gotta elect him!' We just see the enthusiasm, and like, damn... I've been on calls and I've been doing my thing and the reception has been just amazing.
Cori Bush: Yeah, I bet.
Wesley Bell: So we'll be out in Rolla Sunday. We're already working on our Kansas City trip. And man, naw... Listen don't let no Holleman come in messing with me trying to... [unintelligible].
Cori Bush: No, yeah, I definitely agree to that. He's so... He's so raggedy, but yeah. Okay, well, let me know. You know, what you all figure out what y'all want to do or not do. You know? And, and then I'll be working stuff on my end.
Wesley Bell: With connections, you know people that I don't even know that I need to talk.
Cori Bush: Oh yeah, that's what I'm gonna be working on.
Wesley Bell: I appreciate it. I appreciate it.
Cori Bush: Yes. Yes. And then you let me know, once you talk to your team, figure out who... what senators that you want to like, connect to, you know.
Wesley Bell: Okay.
Cori Bush: If then... so that I can be like looking at that as well and working that. So like if you want to connect with the Warren's and the Bernie's and the Markey's, or if you want to... or if you going a different route and you want to connect with some of the more centrist ones. Like just figure out who it is because I can like I can reach out to them and and make those connections. So...
Wesley Bell: Okay... Well, anyway, yeah, I got you. okay.
Cori Bush: Well, the way... You know, you got to pick a team first and then you know, that's how it's gonna probably be.
Wesley Bell: You know that a little better than me.
Cori Bush: Yeah, they ridiculous.
Wesley Bell: You're saying basically it's the same everywhere you go?
Cori Bush: Pretty much. Pretty much. Pretty much. I mean, we can reach out to all of them, but you... they all want to know whose team you on first. They want to know like, how progressive you are or aren't. That kind of thing.
Wesley Bell: Gotcha. Ok.
Cori Bush: Yeah...
Wesley Bell: Ok.
Cori Bush: But okay, all right.
Wesley Bell: Okay. I'll talk to you soon.
Cori Bush: Ok. Have a good one.