House Ethics Committee Holds Hearing on Cherfilus-McCormick

The House Ethics Committee convened a rare public hearing on Thursday in Washington to investigate alleged ethics violations by Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democratic congresswoman from Florida, marking the first such proceeding against a sitting member in more than 15 years.

The two-term lawmaker, who represents a Democratic-leaning district in southeastern Florida, faces 27 counts of misconduct outlined in a detailed committee report. Investigators allege she violated campaign finance laws by commingling personal, business, and campaign funds; accepting improper contributions; and using her congressional position to provide favors to allies, including during the appropriations process. The probe, launched in 2023, involved reviewing over 33,000 documents, conducting dozens of interviews, and issuing more than 50 subpoenas during a dozen meetings.

At the center of the allegations is a federal overpayment of nearly $5 million in COVID-19 disaster relief funds to Trinity Health Care Services, a company owned by Cherfilus-McCormick and her family. Prosecutors contend the funds, received through a federally supported vaccination staffing contract in 2021, were not returned...