House Ethics Committee accuses Florida congresswoman of ‘extensive misconduct’

There is “substantial evidence” South Florida Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick not only broke campaign finance laws, but also violated a slew of government ethics requirements and House rules, according to a U.S. House Ethics Committee report released Thursday.

The committee said its year-and-a-half-long investigation “revealed substantial evidence of conduct consistent with the allegations” laid out in a grand jury criminal indictment last fall, as well as “more extensive misconduct.”

The committee is formally accusing the Democratic congresswoman of receiving illegal campaign contributions and money-laundering government funds, as the Department of Justice has also alleged.

Additionally, the committee said its investigation revealed evidence that the congresswoman mixed personal and campaign funds, knowingly and willfully filed inaccurate financial disclosures statements, and tried to defray official costs by accepting voluntary services in violation of House rules. The committee also determined that the congresswoman provided “special favors” when it came to community funding project requests.

The allegations come after an investigation that has spanned two Congresses and included 59 subpoenas, a review of 33,00 documents and interviews with 28 witnesses, according to the committee’s report.

“Today’s action was taken without giving me a fair opportunity to rebut or defend myself due to the constraints of an ongoing legal process,” the congresswoman said in a statement provided to the Miami Herald.

“I reject these allegations and remain confident the full facts will make clear I did nothing wrong. Until then, my focus remains where it belongs: delivering for my constituents and continuing the work they sent me to Washington to do,” she said.

Her legal counsel, Michael Stroud, told the committee earlier this month that “Representative Cherfilus-McCormick disputes and refutes the allegations” and asked to have all committee proceedings dismissed until the conclusion of her criminal case.

The House is instead proceeding with its investigation and has scheduled a hearing on the allegations for March 5.

Claire Heddles

Miami Herald

Claire Heddles is the Miami Herald’s senior political correspondent. She previously covered national politics and Congress from Washington, D.C at NOTUS. She’s also worked as a public radio reporter covering local government and education in East Tennessee and Jacksonville, Florida.