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Sept. 26, 2024Washington |  By: Ariana Figueroa - Missouri Independent

U.S. House ethics panel releases more details about allegations against Florida lawmaker

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By Ariana Figueroa - Missouri Independent

WASHINGTON — The House Ethics Committee Wednesday said it will continue reviewing allegations that Florida Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick violated campaign finance laws, and the panel released more details about the inquiry.

The original recommendation for committee review came from the board of the Office of Congressional Ethics, which is an independent entity that reviews allegations of potential violations against members of the House and makes referrals to the House Ethics Committee.

The Ethics Committee said in a press release about the matter that “the mere fact of a continued investigation into these allegations does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred.”

A Sept. 25, 2023, report by the board released Wednesday by the committee said “there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick made payments to a state political action committee which may have been in connection with her campaign for federal office and did not report these payments as contributions to her campaign.”

In a statement to States Newsroom, her office said the report is a standard procedure.

“As we’ve said before, the fact that the Committee is reviewing these allegations does not indicate there has been any finding that a violation has occurred,” her office said in the statement. “Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick continues to take this matter very seriously and intends to continue to cooperate with the House Ethics Committee and its investigative subcommittee to address the allegations that have been raised.”

The Ethics Committee in December said in a statement that it would open an investigation into allegations that she “may have violated campaign finance laws and regulations in connection with her 2022 special election and/or 2022 reelection campaigns; failed to properly disclose required information on statements required to be filed with the House; and/or accepted voluntary services for official work from an individual not employed in her congressional office.”

The Sun Sentinel in 2022 reported that Cherfilus-McCormick began self-funding her congressional campaign at the same time the health care company where she was CEO received an $8 million contract in order to distribute coronavirus vaccines to vulnerable communities.

The Ethics Committee in June announced it had expanded its investigation into whether Cherfilus-McCormick violated campaign finance laws.

There are several allegations against Cherfilus-McCormick contained in the referral by the Board of the Office of Congressional Ethics, which was required to be released no later than one year after it was sent to the committee.

It’s alleged that Cherfilus-McCormick made payments to a state political action committee that may have been in connection with her campaign for federal office, which “may have violated House Rules, standards of conduct, and federal law,” according to the report.

Not reporting those payments as contributions to her campaign “may further violate House Rules, standards of conduct, and federal law,” according to the report.

It’s alleged that her congressional office could have received services related to franked communications and other congressional work from an individual who was not paid through official funds.

Franked communications allow members of Congress to send out mail without paying for postage because it’s an official communication with a member of Congress and their constituents.

“If Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick compensated this individual with private funds or did not compensate him for his services, she may have violated House Rules, standards of conduct, and federal law,” according to the report.

It’s alleged that the Cherfilus-McCormick campaign committee may have accepted and failed to report contributions exceeding contribution limits by the Federal Election Commission, which could violate House rules and federal law.

“Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick’s campaign committee may have failed to report transactions between the campaign committee’s bank account and Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick’s businesses’ bank accounts,” according to the report.

If her campaign committee didn’t report those transactions in FEC filings, she “may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law,” according to the report.

Cherfilus-McCormick ran and won in a special general election in 2022 after former Rep. Alcee Hastings died. She is seeking reelection.