Ethics doesn’t seem to be a strong characteristic of politicians in Washington, D.C. News headlines regularly reveal another political “leader” with questionable practices that could lead to serious charges.
Democrats famously attack Republicans for any minor affront while members of the blue party lately are making headlines for potential violations. The latest Democrat to face a major investigation hasn’t even been in office for two years.
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) won a special election in the heavily Democrat 20th Congressional District in January 2022 to gain her seat in Congress. Now her political career could be in trouble after members from both sides of the aisle called out her actions.
The House Ethics Committee is investigating Cherfilus-McCormick for alleged campaign finance violations tied to her 2022 elections.
From Fox News:
The committee said Wednesday that it had voted unanimously to establish an investigative subcommittee to determine whether Cherfilus-McCormick violated campaign finance laws during either of her 2022 elections.
The probe includes allegations that she “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.”
Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., will chair the subcommittee, and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., will serve as the ranking member. The committee is made up of a select group of Republicans and Democrats.
“The Committee has determined to take this action following receipt of a referral from the Office of Congressional Ethics regarding this matter,” the committee said. “The Committee notes that the mere fact of establishing an Investigative Subcommittee does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred.”
Cherfilus-McCormick’s team has apparently learned the Washington way quickly after releasing a well-prepared statement regarding the investigation.
“As the Ethics Committee said in its statement, the mere fact of establishing an investigative subcommittee does not itself indicate that any violation occurred,” her office said in a statement. “Regardless, the Congresswoman takes these matters seriously and is working to resolve them.”
With fellow Congress members running the investigation, there will be questions about whether the ethical are truly investigating the unethical. This scenario doesn’t appear to be a confidence-inspiring move by the House considering there will likely be limited consequences, if any, for alleged ethics violations.
Key Takeaways:
- Democrat in Congress hit with serious investigation for alleged campaign finance violations.
- Cherfilus-McCormick allegedly violated campaign finance laws in 2022 elections.
- Democrats and Republicans voted unanimously to move forward with the investigation.
Source: Fox News