23-7239

OCE Report Regarding Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick

OCE Referral Regarding Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick

OCE Referral Regarding Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Exhibits 

On September 25th, 2023, the Office of Congressional Ethics transmitted a referral to the Committee on Ethics of the United States House of Representatives regarding Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.

Nature of the Review

Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick made payments to a state political action committee that may have been in connection with her campaign for federal office. If Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick made payments to a state political action committee in connection with her campaign, she may have violated House Rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.  Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick’s failure to report these payments as contributions to her campaign may further violate House Rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.

Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick’s congressional office may have received services related to franked communications and other official work from an individual who was not compensated with official funds. If Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick compensated this individual with private funds or did not compensate him for his services, she may have violated House Rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.

Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick’s campaign committee may have accepted and failed to report contributions exceeding FEC contribution limits. If Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick’s campaign committee accepted and failed to report contributions exceeding contribution limits, Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.

Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick’s campaign committee may have failed to report transactions between the campaign committee’s bank account and Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick’s businesses’ bank accounts. If Rep. Cherfilus- McCormick’s campaign committee failed to report or misrepresented these transactions in FEC filings, Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.  

OCE Recommendation

The Board recommended that the Committee further review the above allegations concerning Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick because there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick made payments to a state political action committee which may have been in connection with her campaign for federal office and did not report these payments as contributions to her campaign.

The Board recommended that the Committee further review the above allegations because there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick’s congressional office received services related to franked communications and other official work from an individual who was not compensated with official funds.

The Board recommended that the Committee further review the above allegations because there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick’s campaign committee accepted and failed to report contributions exceeding contribution limits.

The Board recommended that the Committee further review the above allegations because there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick’s campaign committee failed to report transactions between the campaign committee and Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick’s businesses.

Committee Action

On November 9, 2023 the Committee on Ethics released a statement indicating it would extend the matter regarding Representative Cherfilus-McCormick pursuant to Committee Rule 17(a).

On December 27, 2023, the Committee on Ethics announced it had established an Investigative Subcommittee (ISC) on February 28, 2023, to conduct an inquiry into whether Representative 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.

On June 25, 2024, the Committee on Ethics announcedit had expanded its established ISC based on an additional referral sent by the OCE on May 29, 2024. The ISC expanded to conduct an inquiry into whether Representative Cherfilus-McCormick may have:

• engaged in improper conduct in connection with community project funding requests;
• misused official funds for campaign purposes;
• and/or violated campaign finance laws and regulations in connection with her 2024 re-election campaign.

On September 25, 2024, the Committee released a statement indicating the matter referred is currently within the jurisdiction of an Investigative Subcommittee (ISC). Pursuant to House Rule XI, clause 3(b)(8)(B)(iii) and Committee Rule 17A(f)(2), if an ISC does not conclude its review within one year after receiving a referral from the OCE, the Committee shall make public OCE's report no later than one year after the referral. Accordingly, the Committee made public OCE's Report in the matter referred to the Committee on September 25, 2023. If the Investigative Subcommittee does not conclude its review before the end of the 118th Congress, the Committee shall make public the OCE's findings regarding this matter at the expiration of this Congress.

The release of the report for the May 29, 2024 matter, the second OCE referral related to Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, will occur by May 29, 2025 if the Investigative Subcommittee has not yet concluded its review, with the release of those findings required by the end of the 119th Congress. 

On January 2, 2025, the Committee on Ethics released a statement announcing the matter is still within jurisdiction of the Investigative Subcommittee. Pursuant to House Rule XI, clause 3(b)(8)(B)(iii) and Committee Rule 17A(f)(2), if the investigative subcommittee does not conclude its review before the end of the Congress in which the report of the Board is made public, the Committee shall make public any findings of the Board on the last day of that Congress. Accordingly, the Committee published the OCE's findings.