Latest news with #Cherfilus-McCormick
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Report alleges Cherfilus-McCormick may have accepted campaign contributions ‘linked to an official action'
An official report outlining potential ethics violations by U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., said there was probable cause to believe that she 'accepted campaign contributions linked to an official action.' If proven, the allegation contained in a document released Thursday by the House Ethics Committee could be a violation of House rules, standards of conduct and federal law. The Office of Congressional Conduct determined in May 2024 that the matter warranted review by the Congressional Ethics Committee, which said it has been reviewing the allegation for the last year. The official document provided no details, just a total of three sentences in two different places. It was one of five alleged violations. The board of the Office of Congressional Conduct recommended further review of three and dismissal of two. The document was released one year after the conduct office, which reviews allegations of misconduct against members, referred the case to the committee, which investigates and adjudicates alleged violations of House rules and related laws. In a joint statement accompanying the release of the referral, the Republican chair and top Democrat on the Ethics Committee said that 'the mere fact of a continued investigation into these allegations does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred.' For the three violations it said warranted further investigation, the congressional conduct office said Cherfilus-McCormick 'may have' taken actions that, if substantiated, mean 'she may have violated House rules and standards of conduct.' For two of the allegations, it said violations may have violated federal law. Besides the allegation about 'campaign contributions linked to an official action,' the office said she may have requested community project funding that would be directed to a for-profit entity. It also said her congressional office may have 'made payments to an entity in violation of' the rules or 'alternatively, that her campaign may have accepted and failed to report in-kind (campaign) contributions that may have exceeded applicable limits.' In each of the three allegations, the conduct office's board voted 6-0 to recommend further review by the Ethics Committee. The board voted 5-1 to recommend dismissal of the allegation that she 'may have dispensed favors or privileges to friends' in connection with official requests for community project funding. It voted 6-0 to recommend dismissal of an allegation that her campaign misrepresented the source of a campaign contribution or accepted a contribution made by one person in the name of another. In both dismissal recommendations, the board found there was 'not substantial reason to believe' the allegations. In a statement provided by her communications director, Cherfilus-McCormick said, 'The Committee on Ethics has not yet concluded its review of the allegations, and no decision has been made at this time. As outlined in the Committee's public statement, the referral for further review does not imply that any violation has occurred. I fully respect the process and remain committed to cooperating with the Committee as it works to bring this inquiry to a close.' In 2023, the Ethics Committee received an earlier referral. A limited summary was released in 2024 — similar to the one put out Thursday. In January, 576 pages of materials were released. In the earlier case, which has not been publicly resolved, the Office of Congressional Conduct said there was 'substantial reason to believe' four allegations including that she 'made payments to a state political action committee in connection with her campaign and failed to report these payments as contributions to her campaign' and that her campaign campaign committee 'accepted and failed to report contributions exceeding contribution limits.' Cherfilus-McCormick was first elected in a January 2022 special election in the Broward-Palm Beach county 20th Congressional District. A Democrat, she was elected to a full term in November 2022. No Democratic primary challenger or Republican general election challenger came forward to run against Cherfilus-McCormick in 2024, making her the only one of Florida's 28 members of Congress returned to office without facing a primary or general election. A young Democratic activist, Elijah Manley, who has run unsuccessfully for office before, is challenging Cherfilus-McCormick in the 2026 Democratic primary. 'The people of Florida are sick and tired of political corruption, ethical scandals, and the legal maneuvers the wealthy and powerful use to escape accountability,' Manley said in a statement, adding that in his view the information released by the Ethics Committee shows the incumbent's 'inability to serve the people of Florida's 20th District with honesty and transparency.' Congressional ethics investigations move slowly, and the system is byzantine to outsiders. The Office of Congressional Conduct has its own staff and is governed by a bipartisan board of private citizens who aren't members of Congress and don't work for the federal government. Half the members are chosen by the House speaker and half by the minority party leader. Currently there are only four members instead of the six members and four alternates. Another change: Until January, it was called the Office of Congressional Ethics. This year 'conduct' was substituted for 'ethics' in the name. The House Ethics Committee includes equal numbers of Republican and Democratic members, which is unusual. The majority party has a majority of spots on all other committees. The panel conducts its business behind closed doors and is circumspect about its activities. The joint statement Thursday from U.S. Rep. Michael Guest, a Mississippi Republican and committee chair, and U.S. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier of California, the top Democrat on the panel, was the usual, brief format, totaling four paragraphs. 'No other public comment will be made on this matter except in accordance with Committee rules,' Guest and DeSaulnier said. In cases — such as this one — in which the committee hasn't finished its investigation within a year receiving a referral from the Office of Congressional Conduct, House rules require the release of the referral. The referral contains some details, but the supporting materials the committee gets at the same time, which can be voluminous, aren't included. Two pages were released Thursday, but pages 3 to 17 were not. If there has been no resolution of the investigation and at least one year has passed, all the supporting documents are publicly released at the end of the two-year session of Congress. In this case, that would be January 2027. Currently the matter is in the hands of an investigative subcommittee of the Ethics Committee, which is still considering the earlier ethics referral. Separately, a lawsuit involving Cherfilus-McCormick's former company, Trinity Health Care Services, has been settled. In December, the Florida Division of Emergency Management sued Trinity to recover what it said was $5.8 million in overpayments. Before she was elected to Congress, Cherfilus-McCormick was the CEO of the family-owned company. The case involved the company, not Cherfilus-McCormick. Her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, is vice president of operations, according to his LinkedIn page. In 2021, the emergency management agency hired Trinity to administer COVID-19 vaccinations and employ canvassers to sign people up to get vaccinated. In its lawsuit, the state said that on June 28, 2021, the emergency management division sent Trinity an 'overpayment of $5,057,050.00' instead of the $50,578.50 it actually owed 'due to a clerical error.' It later discovered 'several' additional overpayments, totaling $5.78 million. The Leon County Circuit Clerk's Office website shows the case is closed. The most recent filing, from an attorney representing the Division of Emergency Management, said there was 'an executed settlement agreement in the matter,' and that both the state agency and Trinity Healthcare Services would each pay their own attorneys' fees. Trinity did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement, and it agreed to repay $5.62 million. Though the total repayment is almost as much as the state wanted, it is effectively much less because it is being repaid over many years without interest. Under the terms of the settlement Trinity agreed to pay $25,000 in April and $15,000 in May. Starting in 2026, the company agreed to repay $92,910.99 each quarter, which works out to $371,644 a year. The repayments last 15 years, which means the final payment would be made in the fourth quarter of 2040. _____
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Official report alleges Cherfilus-McCormick may have accepted campaign contributions ‘linked to an official action'
An official report outlining potential ethics violations by U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick said there was probable cause to believe that she 'accepted campaign contributions linked to an official action.' If proven, the allegation contained in a document released Thursday by the House Ethics Committee could be a violation of House rules, standards of conduct and federal law. The Office of Congressional Conduct determined in May 2024 that the matter warranted review by the Congressional Ethics Committee, which said it has been reviewing the allegation for the last year. The official document provided no details, just a total of three sentences in two different places. It was one of five alleged violations. The board of the Office of Congressional Conduct recommended further review of three and dismissal of two. The document was released one year after the conduct office, which reviews allegations of misconduct against members, referred the case to the committee, which investigates and adjudicates alleged violations of House rules and related laws. In a joint statement accompanying the release of the referral, the Republican chair and top Democrat on the Ethics Committee said that 'the mere fact of a continued investigation into these allegations does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred.' For the three violations it said warranted further investigation, the congressional conduct office said Cherfilus-McCormick 'may have' taken actions that, if substantiated, mean 'she may have violated House rules and standards of conduct.' For two of the allegations, it said violations may have violated federal law. Besides the allegation about 'campaign contributions linked to an official action,' the office said she may have requested community project funding that would be directed to a for-profit entity. It also said her congressional office may have 'made payments to an entity in violation of' the rules or 'alternatively, that her campaign may have accepted and failed to report in-kind (campaign) contributions that may have exceeded applicable limits.' In each of the three allegations, the conduct office's board voted 6-0 to recommend further review by the Ethics Committee. The board voted 5-1 to recommend dismissal of the allegation that she 'may have dispensed favors or privileges to friends' in connection with official requests for community project funding. It voted 6-0 to recommend dismissal of an allegation that her campaign misrepresented the source of a campaign contribution or accepted a contribution made by one person in the name of another. In both dismissal recommendations, the board found there was 'not substantial reason to believe' the allegations. In a statement provided by her communications director, Cherfilus-McCormick said, 'The Committee on Ethics has not yet concluded its review of the allegations, and no decision has been made at this time. As outlined in the Committee's public statement, the referral for further review does not imply that any violation has occurred. I fully respect the process and remain committed to cooperating with the Committee as it works to bring this inquiry to a close.' In 2023, the Ethics Committee received an earlier referral. A limited summary was released in 2024 — similar to the one put out Thursday. In January, 576 pages of materials were released. In the earlier case, which has not been publicly resolved, the Office of Congressional Conduct said there was 'substantial reason to believe' four allegations including that she 'made payments to a state political action committee in connection with her campaign and failed to report these payments as contributions to her campaign' and that her campaign campaign committee 'accepted and failed to report contributions exceeding contribution limits.' Challenger raises 18 times as much campaign money as Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick ICE pushes back, says congresswomen arrived at Broward facility with 'hostile intentions' Seeking answers about death at Broward ICE center, congresswomen say they encounter 'hostility and evasiveness' As many Congress members avoid anger-filled town halls, a few still take place Health care company says it didn't refuse to return $5.8 million demanded by state Ethics report details allegations of campaign violations by Cherfilus-McCormick Cherfilus-McCormick was first elected in a January 2022 special election in the Broward-Palm Beach county 20th Congressional District. A Democrat, she was elected to a full term in November 2022. No Democratic primary challenger or Republican general election challenger came forward to run against Cherfilus-McCormick in 2024, making her the only one of Florida's 28 members of Congress returned to office without facing a primary or general election. A young Democratic activist, Elijah Manley, who has run unsuccessfully for office before, is challenging Cherfilus-McCormick in the 2026 Democratic primary. 'The people of Florida are sick and tired of political corruption, ethical scandals, and the legal maneuvers the wealthy and powerful use to escape accountability,' Manley said in a statement, adding that in his view the information released by the Ethics Committee shows the incumbent's 'inability to serve the people of Florida's 20th District with honesty and transparency.' Congressional ethics investigations move slowly and the system is byzantine to outsiders. The Office of Congressional Conduct has its own staff and is governed by a bipartisan board of private citizens who aren't members of Congress and don't work for the federal government. Half the members are chosen by the House speaker and half by the minority party leader. Currently there are only four members instead of the six members and four alternates. Another change: Until January, it was called the Office of Congressional Ethics. This year 'conduct' was substituted for 'ethics' in the name. The House Ethics Committee includes equal numbers of Republican and Democratic members, which is unusual. The majority party has a majority of spots on all other committees. The panel conducts its business behind closed doors and is circumspect about its activities. The joint statement Thursday from U.S. Rep. Michael Guest, a Mississippi Republican and committee chair, and U.S. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier of California, the top Democrat on the panel, was the usual, brief format, totaling four paragraphs. 'No other public comment will be made on this matter except in accordance with Committee rules,' Guest and DeSaulnier said. In cases — such as this one — in which the committee hasn't finished its investigation within a year receiving a referral from the Office of Congressional Conduct, House rules require the release of the referral. The referral contains some details, but the supporting materials the committee gets at the same time, which can be voluminous, aren't included. Two pages were released Thursday, but pages 3 to 17 were not. If there has been no resolution of the investigation and at least one year has passed, all the supporting documents are publicly released at the end of the two-year session of Congress. In this case, that would be January 2027. Currently the matter is in the hands of an investigative subcommittee of the Ethics Committee, which is still considering the earlier ethics referral. Separately, a lawsuit involving Cherfilus-McCormick's former company, Trinity Health Care Services, has been settled. In December, the Florida Division of Emergency Management sued Trinity to recover what it said was $5.8 million in overpayments. Before she was elected to Congress, Cherfilus-McCormick was the CEO of the family-owned company. The case involved the company, not Cherfilus-McCormick. Her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, is vice president of operations, according to his LinkedIn page. In 2021, the emergency management agency hired Trinity to administer COVID-19 vaccinations and employ canvassers to sign people up to get vaccinated. In its lawsuit, the state said that on June 28, 2021, the emergency management division sent Trinity an 'overpayment of $5,057,050.00' instead of the $50,578.50 it actually owed 'due to a clerical error.' It later discovered 'several' additional overpayments, totaling $5.78 million. The Leon County Circuit Clerk's Office website shows the case is closed. The most recent filing, from an attorney representing the Division of Emergency Management, said there was 'an executed settlement agreement in the matter,' and that both the state agency and Trinity Healthcare Services would each pay their own attorneys' fees. Trinity did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement, and it agreed to repay $5.62 million. Though the total repayment is almost as much as the state wanted, it is effectively much less because it is being repaid over many years without interest. Under the terms of the settlement Trinity agreed to pay $25,000 in April and $15,000 in May. Starting in 2026, the company agreed to repay $92,910.99 each quarter, which works out to $371,644 a year. The repayments last 15 years, which means the final payment would be made in the fourth quarter of 2040. Anthony Man can be reached at aman@ and can be found @browardpolitics on Bluesky, Threads, Facebook and Mastodon.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
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.
Politico
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
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 for the 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.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
ICE pushes back, says congresswomen arrived at Florida facility with ‘hostile intentions'
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday rejected assessments made by U.S. Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Frederica Wilson after they visited a Broward County ICE facility to investigate the death of a detainee. Juan Agudelo, interim field office director for ICE in Miami, said statements from Cherfilus-McCormick and Wilson were 'categorically false. These allegations are deliberate attempts to discredit ICE.' ICE is at the forefront of President Donald Trump's efforts to round up and deport people who aren't in the country legally. Cherfilus-McCormick and Wilson said Monday afternoon that they're not deterred by the ICE response to what they reported after visiting the Broward Transitional Center in Deerfield Beach. 'This statement is nothing more than a distraction from the egregious issues we found at the facility, from detainees sleeping on the floor to the fact that a single doctor was on call 'caring' for hundreds of individuals. Instead of exerting all of its resources on petty personal attacks through the media, ICE should be more focused on providing transparency to the American people,' Cherfilus-McCormick said via email. Separately, Wilson said via email that her objective was to 'uncover the truth, and as a member of Congress, I cannot and will not sit idly as reports keep coming out of inhumane conditions at different ICE facilities. … ICE must stop wasting its time attacking members of Congress for simply conducting oversight. Instead, they should be worried about following the law, treating immigrants with dignity, and providing honest answers to the American people.' Cherfilus-McCormick and Wilson visited the Broward Transitional Center on Friday to try to learn more about the death of Marie Ange Blaise, a 44-year-old Haitian woman who was being detained there. On April 29, ICE announced Blaise had died at the center on April 25. Cherfilus-McCormick said Friday that detainees told the congresswoman Blaise had complained of chest pain 'for quite a few days' and was given medication the morning of her death, but the chest pains continued. 'From the beginning of the visit, we were met with open hostility and evasiveness by staff. This tour was a complete departure from my visit to the facility in March 2022, in which personnel talked with me and were transparent. You have to ask yourself why,' Cherfilus-McCormick said. 'Marie Blaise should be alive today. I will not stop until her loved ones get the justice they deserve, and all those in ICE custody are treated with basic dignity,' she said. ICE didn't immediately respond to questions about the congressional visit on Friday. On Monday, it provided the statement from Agudelo, who focused on Wilson. She visited another ICE site, the Krome Detention Center in Miami-Dade County, on April 24 to investigate conditions there. The Miami field office is responsible for Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Agudelo said that during their visit to the Deerfield Beach facility on Friday 'the congressional delegation immediately met ICE leadership with hostile intentions, not caring to see any other part of the facility, except the medical area. Congresswoman Wilson demanded answers that are part of an ongoing investigation into the recent death of a detainee. She was informed repeatedly that her questions would be answered at the conclusion of the investigation, however, she unprofessionally persisted in peppering every member present with questions.' Later in the statement, Agudelo added: 'To suggest that ICE attempted to mislead these elected officials is offensive and slanders to the professionalism of our personnel. This delegation met our team with hostile intentions during the visit, and carried that attitude to their impromptu press conference outside the facility. ICE is committed to transparency and fully supports congressional oversight. We take our responsibility to provide accurate information to both Congress and the public very seriously.' Wilson was equally strong in her response to Agudelo. 'My goal in questioning ICE officials was simple: to get the answers the American people deserve. ICE didn't appreciate that we weren't here to take a casual tour and nod our heads at everything they said. We ask tough questions because there are real concerns about these facilities that are funded through taxpayer dollars,' Wilson said. 'And this isn't my first rodeo — I know ICE officials clean up the facility beforehand and present a polished narrative of the facility to us, hoping I won't see the full story.' Cherfilus-McCormick and Wilson said on Friday that ICE staff at the Broward Transitional Center stopped answering questions when they pressed for information about health care staffing and procedures. ICE said its staff provided lots of information to the congresswoman, including living conditions, recreational facilities, and medical care. 'In fact, ICE leadership detailed the medical care detainees receive from the time they step into the facility and throughout their stay. All aliens in ICE custody receive medical, dental, and mental health screening, including 24-hour emergency care. At no time during detention is a detained illegal alien denied medical care.' Cherfilus-McCormick, who represents most of the African American and Caribbean American communities in Broward and Palm Beach counties, is the only Haitian American member of Congress. Wilson, who represents South Broward and Miami-Dade counties, represents Miami's Little Haiti community. Both are Democrats. Blaise was stopped by Customs at Border Protection in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Feb. 12, and eventually transferred to ICE custody. She spent six weeks in a Louisiana correctional facility and in early April was transferred to ICE's Miami Division, and the Broward Transitional Center, the agency said previously. The Broward Transitional Center, located near the Monarch Hill landfill widely known as Mount Trashmore, is operated by the GEO Group, the national private prison company based in Boca Raton. _____
