(Le Floridien) — Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, the first Haitian-American from Florida elected to the U.S. Congress, is facing an expanded investigation by the House Ethics Committee. This development comes months after an initial announcement in December 2023 about a special subcommittee formed to probe whether the Florida Democrat violated campaign finance laws during a 2022 special election or breached House rules while running her official office.
The committee, chaired by Michael Guest (R-Miss.) and ranking member Susan Wild (D-Pa.), initially formed a bipartisan panel to review allegations connected to Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2022 special election victory and subsequent reelection campaign. The investigation has now broadened following a new referral from the independent Office of Congressional Ethics.
The expanded inquiry will examine whether Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick violated the Code of Official Conduct or any law, rule, or regulation related to her duties. Specific allegations include improper conduct in connection with community project funding requests, misuse of official funds for campaign purposes, and violations of campaign finance laws during her 2024 reelection campaign.
Cherfilus-McCormick has downplayed the significance of the investigation’s expansion. In a statement provided by her Communications Director, Clara Bernice, she emphasized that expanding the scope of the inquiry does not indicate any violation or judgement by the Committee. The Congresswoman expressed her commitment to cooperating with the House Ethics Committee to address the allegations and stated that there would be no further comment at this time to respect the Committee’s process.
Cherfilus-McCormick first won her seat in a 2022 special election to succeed the late U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, narrowly securing the Democratic nomination by five votes. She won reelection later that year and was re-elected unopposed in the latest election cycle.
Despite her electoral success, Cherfilus-McCormick’s campaign finances have drawn scrutiny. Questions arose about how she, a health care executive, managed to lend her campaign millions for her initial election. Federal Election Commission filings have revealed issues with her campaign’s bookkeeping, including missing deadlines for addressing FEC concerns and a substantial loan repayment to Truist Bank.
As of March, her campaign reported over $3.7 million in debt. Throughout this period, Cherfilus-McCormick has remained under the House Ethics Committee’s scrutiny for possible disclosure failures and improperly accepting voluntary service for official work.
The expanded investigation adds another layer of complexity to Cherfilus-McCormick’s tenure, casting a shadow over her historic achievement as the first Haitian-American from Florida in Congress.
