Watchdog links Florida Dem to more potential House rules violations
The findings of a new report made public Thursday by the Office of Congressional Conduct — which reviews outside ethics complaints against House members and recommends further action to the House Ethics Committee — builds on the allegations the Florida Democrat has been facing since 2023.
In addition to investigating a litany of campaign finance allegations against the lawmaker, the OCC has now revealed that Cherfilus-McCormick may also have accepted campaign contributions linked to an official action and failed to report in-kind payments. The OCC board also said in the report released Thursday it voted unanimously to recommend the Ethics panel take further official action.
Cherfilus-McCormick said in a statement she "fully respect[ed] the process and remain[ed] committed to cooperating with the Committee as it works to bring this inquiry to a close."
"The Committee on Ethics has not yet concluded its review of the allegations, and no decision has been made at this time," she continued, adding, "the referral for further review does not imply that any violation has occurred."
The OCC did not release details about the community project for which Cherfilus-McCormick might have improperly sought funding, though for fiscal year 2023 Cherfilus-McCormick had requested funding forthe Salvation Army; Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami; a first-time homebuyers program for the City of Tamarac; and MorseLife Health System of West Palm Beach, among other projects.
The report the Ethics Committee released in the previous Congress, which also originated in the OCC, found 'substantial reason to believe that Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick made payments to a state political action committee in connection with her campaign and failed to report these payments as contributions to her campaign.'
The watchdog also found reason at that time to believe that someone not employed by Cherfilus-McCormick's official office conducted official work on her behalf; that her campaign did not report contributions it received that were greater than the federal limits; and that her campaign did not report transactions between the campaign account and the congresswoman's business accounts.
This investigation is still under the review of an investigative subcommittee convened to probe the existing allegations against Cherfilus-McCormick, but the OCC board announced Thursday it had voted to dismiss allegations that Cherfilus-McCormick granted favors in exchange for receiving earmark funding or misreported the source of certain campaign contributions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Trump this time is trying to help GOP avoid messy primary fights
President Trump is using his influence to help Republicans avoid messy primary fights as the party prepares for the midterms. Trump recently waded into both Michigan's Senate race and the New York gubernatorial contest in an effort to convince notable candidates — Rep. Bill Huizenga (R) and Rep. Mike Lawler (R), respectively — to opt out of the contests. In both cases, the candidates bowed to pressure. The president's moves underscore how Republicans are already seeking to coalesce around candidates in some of next year's most high-profile races, as they look to buck historical trends that suggest the president's party will lose congressional seats and other contests. 'He's clearly far more involved in this round than he was in 2017 and 2018 but at the same time it's a totally different situation,' one national Republican operative said of Trump. The different situation is the narrow House GOP majority. It leaves Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) dealing with very tight margins on crucial votes. The president's political operation is effectively being led by Chris LaCivita, a Republican operative who served as co-campaign manager on Trump's 2024 presidential bid. One source close to the White House said Trump and his team would like to avoid messy, drawn-out GOP primaries in state-wide races that could damage candidates for the general election or divide the resources and attention of Republicans. The source pointed to the contentious Pennsylvania Senate primary in 2022 between now-Sen. Dave McCormick and Mehmet Oz, who prevailed in the primary but lost in the general election. Trump spoke directly with Huizenga earlier this month and urged him not to launch a Senate bid, a source familiar with the meeting confirmed to The Hill. NOTUS first reported that Trump had directly asked Huizenga to stay out of the race, effectively clearing the field for former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), whom Trump endorsed Thursday. In North Carolina, Trump is backing Michael Whatley, who is expected in the coming days to announce his campaign to replace retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). The source said Whatley would not have entered the race without Trump's blessing to leave his position at the Republican National Committee. 'They're also at the same time trying to do a balancing act where they want to be supportive of people who have been loyal to the president and drive who and what they think is in their best interest,' the national Republican strategist said. The strategist said those two criteria are 'not a perfect match,' pointing to Trump's backing of Whatley. The strategist argued that a candidate like Whatley is a riskier bet in the swing state. 'He essentially sacrificed Tillis who was a much safer bet than Lara Trump would have been or Whatley today,' the strategist said. 'If I were drawing a map, I would shade North Carolina in light blue.' Other Republicans push back on the notion, pointing to Whatley's deep ties to the state's grassroots from his history as chair of the North Carolina GOP. 'No polling has indicated that Thom Tillis was going to be a better candidate than a pro-Trump Republican,' said a second national Republican operative, noting that Trump has won North Carolina three times in the past. Republicans are also seeking to put a bow on Georgia's GOP Senate primary as the party looks to oust Sen. Jon Ossoff, arguably the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent up for reelection in the upper chamber. One other race to watch for Trump's influence is the Kentucky Senate campaign to replace outgoing Sen. Mitch McConnell (R). Trump has so far not weighed in as multiple Republicans have announced their candidacies. In Georgia, Fox News reported Friday that Trump's political operation and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's (R) had butted heads over their preferred candidates, with Kemp pushing former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley. Businessman Nate Morris has been building his pro-Trump resume. He announced his candidacy on Donald Trump Jr.'s podcast and has already scored endorsements from Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), both staunch Trump allies. Morris is also close with Vice President Vance. Trump also has not waded into the Texas Republican Senate primary, where state Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking on incumbent Sen. John Cornyn. Both Republicans are considered Trump allies, with Paxton being popular with the president's base and Cornyn a key GOP voice in the Senate. Most polls show Paxton with a considerable lead over Cornyn, but hypothetical general election polling shows Cornyn performing better than Paxton against Democratic candidates. Last week Cornyn said Trump has relayed to him that he is not ready to endorse in the race. Democrats argue that their chances at flipping Texas at the Senate level are boosted with a Paxton nomination. 'Paxton can't win a general but Cornyn probably can't win a primary,' the GOP strategist said. 'There's very complicating factors, but I think they're trying to balance their MAGA loyalties with the practicalities of making sure they keep the Senate comfortably and try to find a map that gives them a House majority that includes redistricting.' Redistricting has become a major topic of conversation in national political circles as Texas Republicans pursue redistricting ahead of the midterms. Trump spoke earlier this month with Texas Republicans, where he urged leaders in the state to redraw congressional maps to boost the GOP. The president has also made clear he would support other red states doing the same. 'Just a very simple redrawing, we pick up five seats,' Trump said of Texas. 'But we have a couple of other states where we'll pick up seats also.' Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) floated 'middecade' redistricting to reporters Thursday, noting that he has spoken to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about the matter. 'They said they were going to redo the count in time for 2026,' the governor said, referring to the census. 'They would have to do that relatively soon because you need time to draw maps and you need time to get that done.' Population shifts in states like Florida could benefit House Republicans, particularly in south Florida, where Democratic Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Jared Moskowitz and Lois Frankel could be negatively impacted. 'Any advantage you can get the better,' the GOP strategist noted. 'That gives you a lot of breathing room even if you lose some tough races.' Trump's poll numbers have wavered in recent surveys, a result largely attributable to independents souring on his handling of key issues like the economy and immigration. But Trump allies argued the president's endorsement is still a make-or-break factor in primaries because of his enduring popularity within the party. 'His numbers are stronger than ever before with the Republican base,' one Trump ally said. 'Republican voters are happier with him now than ever before.' The second national Republican operative called Trump's popularity 'a huge asset' in the midterms. 'If you are trying to run a campaign that wants to win you need to replicate the pro Trump coalition,' the operative said, referring to the president's general election win last year.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Johnson calls Massie, Khanna Epstein files effort ‘reckless'
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Sunday called an effort from Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) on files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein 'reckless' as controversy over the disgraced financier roils Washington. 'House Republicans insist upon the release of all credible evidence and information related to Epstein in any way,' Johnson told NBC News's Kristen Welker on 'Meet the Press.' 'But we are also insisting upon the protection of innocent victims. And our concern is that the Massie and Khanna discharge petition is reckless in the way that it is drafted and presented. It does not adequately include those protections,' he added. Earlier this month, Massie said he would try to use a long-shot procedural gambit to force a vote on requiring the Justice Department to release files related to Epstein. 'We all deserve to know what's in the Epstein files, who's implicated, and how deep this corruption goes. Americans were promised justice and transparency,' Massie said in a post on the social platform X in mid-July. 'We're introducing a discharge petition to force a vote in the US House of Representatives on releasing the COMPLETE files,' he added. A discharge petition needs 218 signatures to go past House leadership and force a vote on a measure. Massie and Khanna's bill has 11 Republican co-sponsors, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), all known as staunch members of the GOP's hard-right flank. Khanna and Massie also made a Sunday appearance on 'Meet the Press' in a joint interview, with Massie saying the Epstein controversy 'is going to hurt Republicans in the midterms, the voters will be apathetic if we don't hold the rich and powerful accountable.' 'I think when we get back, we can get the signatures required to force this to the floor. Speaker Mike Johnson should do the right thing and just bring it to the floor and not require us to force it,' Massie said of his and Khanna's effort.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
This Week in Connecticut: Democrat & Republican state reps. agree: no tolls
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — They don't always see eye to eye on issues but state Reps. Matt Blumenthal (D) and Joe Polletta (R) don't want tolls in Connecticut. They sat down with Dennis House on This Week in Connecticut to reflect on the legislative session and the future of the state. Watch above. THIS WEEK IN CONNECTICUT This Week in Connecticut: Democrat & Republican state reps. agree: no tolls This Week in Connecticut: New Middletown mayor defends speed cameras, outlines vision for city This Week in Connecticut: Preppy Handbook turns 45 This Week in Connecticut: Elliott on how he'd differ from Lamont, including adding tolls This Week in Connecticut: Local family advocating for flag football in Connecticut This Week in Connecticut: Is now a good time to buy a house? Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
