House Ethics panel opens investigation into Florida Democrat

The House Ethics Committee announced Wednesday that it has opened an investigative subcommittee into Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) over potential campaign finance and other violations of House rules.

In a release, the committee said that the subpanel will determine whether Cherfilus-McCormick “may have violated campaign finance laws and regulations in connection with her 2022 special election and/or 2022 re-election campaigns; failed to properly disclose required information on statements required to be filed with the House; and/or accepted voluntary services for official work from an individual not employed in her congressional office.”

The committee did not elaborate further on the allegations, as it typically does not disclose details about the substance of allegations against members until it completes investigations.

Cherfilus-McCormick’s office also did not elaborate on the allegations.

“As the Ethics Committee said in its statement, the mere fact of establishing an investigative subcommittee does not itself indicate that any violation occurred. Regardless, the Congresswoman takes these matters seriously and is working to resolve them,” a spokesperson for Cherfilus-McCormick told The Hill.

The House Ethics Committee voted to further investigate matters relating to Cherfilus-McCormick after receiving a referral from the Office of Congressional Ethics in September.

Cherfilus-McCormick joined the House in 2022 after winning a special election for the southern Florida district to replace the late Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.). She was elected to a full term later that year.