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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A House Ethics Committee investigative subcommittee has accused South Florida Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of a sweeping pattern of campaign finance violations, misuse of federal funds and ethics breaches tied to her campaigns, business dealings and conduct in office, according to a newly released Statement of Alleged Violations .
The 59-page report, adopted Dec. 16, 2025 and released Thursday, outlines what investigators describe as “substantial reason to believe” the Florida Democrat violated federal law and House rules over multiple election cycles. The allegations stem from a two-year investigation that included dozens of subpoenas, tens of thousands of documents and nearly 30 witness interviews.
At the center of the report is Cherfilus-McCormick’s former role as CEO of Trinity Health Care Services, a company that received more than $14 million in federal COVID-19 vaccine outreach funding from Florida’s Division of Emergency Management in 2021. Investigators say the state mistakenly overpaid Trinity by at least $5.7 million — money they allege was never promptly returned and instead flowed to the congresswoman, her family members and affiliated companies.
According to the report, more than half of the funds Trinity received were ultimately distributed to Cherfilus-McCormick and relatives through a web of consulting companies, including one she solely owned. Investigators allege those funds were then used to finance her congressional campaigns, luxury personal purchases and other expenses .
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The subcommittee alleges Cherfilus-McCormick falsely portrayed millions of dollars in campaign funding as “personal loans” when the money originated from corporate accounts tied to Trinity and related entities — a violation of federal campaign finance law. The report claims her campaign filed at least 60 inaccurate reports with the Federal Election Commission, overstating cash on hand and failing to disclose contributions, repayments and expenditures.
Investigators also accuse the congresswoman of coordinating with political action committees and nonprofit organizations to funnel additional, unreported support to her campaigns, including media buys and mailers paid for by outside groups. The report alleges some of those entities acted as conduits for impermissible corporate contributions, including money traced to a foreign-linked energy company, Petrogaz-Haiti S.A., LLC .
Beyond campaign finance issues, the report outlines alleged violations of the Ethics in Government Act, saying Cherfilus-McCormick failed to file required financial disclosure reports during her 2018 and 2020 campaigns and later submitted disclosures containing inaccurate or incomplete information. Investigators also accuse her of commingling personal and campaign funds and accepting unpaid “volunteer” services for official congressional work — practices prohibited under House rules.
The subcommittee further alleges Cherfilus-McCormick improperly favored political allies when submitting community project funding requests, directing staff to prioritize projects tied to campaign supporters over others.
Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother were indicted in federal court in November 2025 on charges including theft of government funds, money laundering and tax-related offenses. She has publicly denied wrongdoing and is scheduled to be arraigned later this month. The Ethics Committee noted that the congresswoman invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during the investigation .
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The Ethics Committee will now determine whether to pursue formal sanctions, which could range from reprimand to expulsion, depending on the outcome of its review and the parallel criminal case.
Cherfilus-McCormick, through her attorneys, has formally denied the allegations. In a response filed with the House Ethics Committee, she disputes and refutes the findings and has asked the committee to dismiss the investigation entirely or, alternatively, to pause the proceedings until her federal criminal case is resolved.
Her legal team argues the ethics investigation overlaps substantially with a pending U.S. Department of Justice case in the Southern District of Florida and that continuing the House inquiry could jeopardize her constitutional rights. The motion cites House precedent and the Ethics Manual, which allow the committee to defer action when parallel criminal proceedings are underway.