Watchdog links Florida Dem to more potential House rules violations
A congressional watchdog office has found reason to believe that Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick requested community project funding, also known as earmarks, on behalf of a for-profit entity — a potential violation of House rules.
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
Newsweek
18 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump's World Is 'Fracturing,' Former Giuliani Associate Warns
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Lev Parnas, a former associate of Rudy Giuliani, is warning that President Donald Trump's world is "fracturing" amid Elon Musk's rebuke of his sweeping spending bill and other recent policy moves. Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment on Wednesday. Why It Matters The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a key avenue for Republicans to advance the White House's agenda following the widespread GOP victories in the November election. Key Republican holdouts in the House and Senate have voiced opposition to the bill, citing concerns that it would increase the national debt, among other worries. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday, former Department of Government Efficiency chief Musk bashed the piece of legislation, saying, "I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it." Musk doubled down in another X post on Wednesday: "A new spending bill should be drafted that doesn't massively grow the deficit and increase the debt ceiling by 5 TRILLION DOLLARS." What To Know In a Substack article published on Wednesday, Parnas mentioned Musk's recent shift against the president's beloved legislation. "I've been warning you for months now — there are real cracks forming inside Trump's world. And not just little disagreements behind the scenes," Parnas wrote. "The latest — and loudest — break came from Elon Musk." Parnas said that Musk was "paraded around the White House" in the first few months of Trump's second term, but the Tesla billionaire is no longer "playing" along. The former Giuliani associate is a Ukrainian American businessman who was convicted in 2021 of fraud and campaign finance crimes. He was then sentenced to 20 months in prison. "I've seen how this works from the inside," Parnas wrote. "When loyalty turns to silence, and silence turns to defiance — it's over. The myth of Trump's control starts to collapse." "But Elon is just the loudest crack. The truth is, Trump's empire is fracturing on every front," he added. Parnas went on to note that policy decisions, such as tariffs, praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the acceptance of a Qatari airliner, are also causing cracks in Trump's world. "And I'm telling you now: the very foundation of Trump's power — fear and obedience — is crumbling," Parnas wrote. "Elon might be the first to break publicly, but he won't be the last. There are lawmakers. There are donors. There are insiders. I promise you, they are rattled. And some of them are looking for a way out." Lev Parnas testifies during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing on March 20, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Lev Parnas testifies during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing on March 20, 2024, in Washington, People Are Saying President Donald Trump, Monday on Truth Social: "So many false statements are being made about 'THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL,' but what nobody understands is that it's the single biggest Spending Cut in History, by far! But there will be NO CUTS to Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid." Trump continued: "In fact, they will be saved from the incompetence of the Democrats. The Democrats, who have totally lost their confidence and their way, are saying whatever comes to mind — Anything to win! They suffered the Greatest Humiliation in the History of Politics, and they're desperate to get back on their game, but they won't be able to do that because their Policies are so bad, in fact, they would lead to the Destruction of our Country, and almost did." The president concluded, "The only 'cutting' we will do is for Waste, Fraud, and Abuse, something that should have been done by the Incompetent, Radical Left Democrats for the last four years, but wasn't." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday: "Look, the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn't change the president's opinion." What Happens Next Trump has set a deadline for Senate Republicans to pass the bill and have it on his desk before July 4. It is unclear whether Republican senators will garner enough votes to get it done.
Fox News
19 minutes ago
- Fox News
Durbin obstruction threat chills Senate as Trump nominees hang in balance
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., used his opening remarks during the Senate's first judicial nominee hearing of the year on Wednesday to remind his colleagues that he was holding up at least one of President Donald Trump's Department of Justice nominees. "I've got a hold on one nominee from Florida," Durbin said. "I've spoken to both Florida senators about it. It isn't personal. We've got to find a way out of this that is fair and bipartisan that we're going to stick with for both political parties." Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is blocking the nomination of Jason Reding Quinones, Trump's choice to lead the U.S. attorney's office in the Southern District of Florida. Durbin also recently threatened to obstruct more of Trump's picks to lead the DOJ's 93 U.S. attorney's offices. Durbin's threat loomed over the committee hearing, which featured five of Trump's nominees to fill federal judge positions. The Illinois Democrat attributed his blockade to Vice President JD Vance announcing a hold on DOJ nominees in 2023. Vance, then a senator, said he would not lift his hold on nominees until then-Attorney General Merrick Garland stopped "going after his political opponents," a reference to the two federal prosecutions of Trump. Any senator has the power to use holds to object to nominations. The practice significantly slows down the confirmation process because it prevents senators from voting for nominees through the typical, expedited unanimous consent process. Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, argued Wednesday that, like Durbin, he too disagreed with Vance's decision, but Grassley said it was notably different than Durbin's. "This isn't what you can legitimately call a precedent for blanket obstruction at the beginning of an administration before even a single one of these 93 U.S. attorneys have been filled," Grassley said. Grassley, who himself has hindered nominees in past administrations, said holds should be used "selectively" and quoted Durbin saying last Congress that "public safety will suffer across the United States" if the obstruction of U.S. attorneys is carried out. Durbin said Vance changed the rules "overnight." "And guess what? The tables turn," Durbin said. "There comes a time when you want to move these by voice vote, and we're going to have to say, as Democrats, we're going to follow the Vance precedent." Durbin, who has an amicable relationship with Grassley, signaled he was willing to come to negotiate with Republicans over the Florida nominee, who has already been favorably reported out of the committee along party lines. Asked by Fox News Digital what a resolution would look like, a Durbin spokeswoman pointed to the senator's remarks during the hearing and declined to comment further. Durbin's hold is not the only roadblock for Trump's nominees. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday from the Senate floor that Republicans wanted to "quietly rubber-stamp" Patrick Davis' nomination and that he would not allow it. Trump nominated Davis, a former Grassley aide, to serve as assistant attorney general for the Office of Legislative Affairs, who is responsible for handling DOJ's correspondence with Congress. Schumer said he opposed Davis' nomination in part because the DOJ has been unresponsive to his inquiries about the controversial luxury plane that Qatar gifted to the Trump administration. "They won't even answer serious questions about this. This plane should be withdrawn," Schumer said. He added that when "this Justice Department is as horrible as it is, as political as it is, as destructive of American values as it has been, no way." Grassley responded to Schumer on X: "Why would Democrats expect responsiveness to Congress from DOJ when they obstruct Pres Trump's nominees who r responsible to ANSWER THEIR LTTRS????" The last two Senate-confirmed heads of the Office of Legislative Affairs, during the Biden administration and first Trump administration, were confirmed through the speedy voice vote process.
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Former Lexington councilman latest Kentucky Dem to launch campaign for Congress
Former Lexington councilman David Kloiber is the second Democrat to announce a bid to flip Kentucky's 6th Congressional District from red to blue next year. Kloiber's plan is to bring 'common sense back to the Commonwealth' by emphasizing in Washington the importance of increasing access to affordable housing, alleviating high costs of health care, creating jobs and providing quality public education. 'Common sense means I'm focused on the core issues that impact people day-to-day,' Kloiber told the Herald-Leader ahead of his Wednesday morning launch. '... We need someone who is going to take our community's issues to Washington instead of the other way around and bringing Washington's rhetoric here.' Kloiber previously represented District 6 on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council from 2020 until 2022. That district includes neighborhoods in the city's Winchester Road corridor, Hamburg area and parts of Bryan Station. He's a Lexington native and graduate of Lexington Catholic High School and the University of Kentucky. In 2022, he ran an unsuccessful mayoral campaign against incumbent Linda Gorton who is now in her second term. Gorton received 71% of the vote. Kloiber took second with 29%. During that race, Kloiber gave $630,000 of his own money to his campaign, much of which came from loans from his family's generational wealth and a trust in his name. Just before Election Day that year, Kloiber had raised $644,055 and Gorton had raised $152,860. In conceding, Kloiber said, 'The biggest thing has always been name recognition, just to show people that there's an alternative. Now, it's all about reaching out, making those connections, and letting people know what it would mean to vote for somebody else.' During his run for mayor, Kloiber had a similar lineup of ideas to his current run for Congress. He's said then and now the city and area lacks appropriate workforce development infrastructure like job training facilities, housing close to where people work and good schools in every neighborhood. 'All politics is local,' Kloiber said. 'And too often we get caught up in national things that might not even impact us.' The former councilman runs the Kloiber Foundation, a nonprofit providing students and teachers in Fayette County Public Schools and surrounding counties with necessary technology. Outside of that, Kloiber said he has a leadership role in an investment management firm that has bankrolled new factories, upgrades to cattle ranches, hotel renovations and helped tech companies get their start. 'I know everyone has their own reasons for being here today, but my reasons are very simple,' Kloiber said during his campaign launch speech Wednesday at Elite Printing. 'They're the same ones that have driven me to do everything I've done in my life and that's make sure the place I live is the best it can be for my kids, my family and my community. 'I'm driven to ensure that every tomorrow shows more opportunities than every today.' He said if he wins the seat, he would pull from previous job creation experience to get more Kentuckians well paying work that is compatible to the area. Everything else part of his 'core pillar,' like housing access and curbing the costs of prescriptions, would hopefully fall in line once the jobs come, he said. During his campaign launch Wednesday, Kloiber said in Congress, the 'small caucuses being able to make a large impact by figuring out where and when their votes matter' makes all the difference and is what will 'allow us to get those results-driven policies that we need here in Kentucky.' Kloiber's announcement rings similar to early campaigning from the other Democrat in the race, former Lexington state representative Cherlynn Stevenson. 'I want to follow that blueprint,' said Kloiber of the way Gov. Andy Beshear has redefined what it means to be a Democrat leading what's an otherwise Republican state. Andy Barr, the longtime congressman, has held onto the 6th District seat since 2013. Since a close three-point victory in 2018 over Democrat Amy McGrath, he has won his last three elections by an average of 24 percentage points. President Donald Trump won the district by about 15 percentage points in the last election. But as Kloiber pointed out — and is hoping will help his own campaign — Beshear previously won the district by about 20 percentage points. Kloiber said he would spend the next few summer months 'traveling the district, hearing from residents and incorporating their experiences, their problems and their solutions into a comprehensive, common sense plan that's going to put people ahead of politics.' 'I think that up until very recently, he [Barr] really did reach out and try to appeal to those common issues,' Kloiber said during his launch. 'Now, I can't speak for what he's doing in his run for Senate, but I think that by reaching out to voters where they are on the issues they care about, that's the key to success.' Kloiber's name has been floated to fill the seat after a leading campaign committee for U.S. House Democrats said Kentucky's 6th Congressional District was back in play for the party. On Tuesday, nonpartisan election predictor Sabato's Crystal Ball shifted its rating for the seat from 'safe Republican' to 'likely Republican' as more Democrats show interest in the seat and due in part to the passage of cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs likely to impact how voters decide who represents them. The Herald-Leader previously reported Kentucky Democratic Party Executive Director Morgan Eaves has not denied interest in the job. Party chair Colmon Elridge has also been mentioned as a potential candidate. Federal prosecutor Zach Dembo and former secretary of state Allison Lundergan Grimes have also been mentioned. State Rep. Ryan Dotson, R-Winchester, has announced he's running for the seat. Republicans who could also be contenders include other state legislators like: Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe, R-Lexington; Rep. Deanna Gordon, R-Richmond; Rep. Matt Lockett, R-Nicholasville; and Sen. Donald Douglas, R-Nicholasville.
