‘Substantial Evidence’ Uncovered amid House Ethics Probe of Florida Democrat

Officials with the House Ethics Committee said Thursday they have uncovered evidence in the fraud investigation linked to a Florida Democrat.

The news surrounds Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) whom the committee’s investigative subcommittee is bringing charges against, the Hill reported.

The issue relates to “campaign finance laws and regulations, criminal laws implicated by campaign finance misconduct, the Ethics in Government Act, the Code of Ethics for Government Service and certain House rules,” the outlet said.

The subcommittee stated, “The ISC’s [Investigative Subcommittee] investigation has revealed substantial evidence of conduct consistent with the allegations in the indictment, as well as more extensive misconduct as laid out in the following Statement of Facts in Support of Alleged Violations related to violations of federal laws and regulations, as well as ethical standards.”

In November, a federal grand jury in Miami charged Cherfilus-McCormick with stealing $5 million in FEMA funds in 2021 which she allegedly routed through several accounts. Some of the funds allegedly ended up as candidate contributions to her congressional campaign, Breitbart News reported.

At the time, a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida said:

According to the indictment, Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, and her brother Edwin Cherfilus, 51, both of Miramar, worked through their family health-care company on a FEMA-funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract in 2021. In July 2021, the company received an overpayment of $5 million in FEMA funds.

The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to steal that $5 million and routed it through multiple accounts to disguise its source. Prosecutors allege that a substantial portion of the misappropriated funds was used as candidate contributions to Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign and for the personal benefit of the defendants.

In regard to the recent findings, one of her lawyers, Michael Stroud, said, “Representative Cherfilus-McCormick disputes and refutes the allegations and report of the Ethics Committee’s Investigative Subcommittee,” according to Politico.

Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) on Thursday said he will soon move to expel her from congress.

“In November, I filed a resolution to expel @CongresswomanSC following her indictment by the DOJ,” he wrote in a social media post:

“Today’s House Ethics findings detail more than two dozen counts of serious financial crimes. When we return to Washington, I’ll call up a resolution to expel her from Congress,” Steube concluded.