House Ethics Committee Probes Florida Rep Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Over Funding Allegations

The U.S. House Ethics Committee continues its investigation into Florida Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick for potential violations of campaign finance laws and House rules, including allegations that she may have requested community project funding for a for-profit entity and accepted campaign contributions linked to official actions. The Office of Congressional Ethics found "substantial reason to believe" wrongdoing occurred, but the Ethics Committee has not concluded its review or made any determinations of guilt. Cherfilus-McCormick has denied any wrongdoing and pledged full cooperation with the ongoing inquiry. The investigation also examines whether she misused official funds for campaign purposes, made improper payments, and granted special favors linked to funding requests. Additionally, Cherfilus-McCormick's former company, Trinity Healthcare, agreed to repay $5.6 million to the Florida Department of Emergency Management due to overpayments during the COVID-19 pandemic, though her office has not commented on this matter. The Ethics Committee released the report publicly after exceeding the one-year deadline for concluding its investigation, emphasizing that release does not imply any violation has occurred.