House Ethics Committee finds Rep Sheila-Cherfilus (D) guilty

[MLAA]

WASHINGTON — After a rare and dramatic public hearing, a special House Ethics subcommittee on Friday found Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., guilty of 25 ethics charges, capping a three-year investigation into allegations she stole millions in federal relief funds and funneled some of that to her congressional campaign.
…. The secret vote came after Cherfilus-McCormick and her attorney sat for a nearly seven-hour televised House trial, after which lawmakers on the panel deliberated overnight for hours before reaching their decision.

Cherfilus-McCormick has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty in a separate but related federal criminal case.

“I look forward to proving my innocence," the congresswoman said in a statement. "Until then, my focus remains where it belongs: showing up for the great people of Florida’s 20th District who sent me to Washington to fight for them.”


https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/ethics-committee-finds-rep-sheila-cherfilus-mccormick-guilty-violating-rcna265459

[Duncan Grant]

1. A $5 million overpayment from FEMA. That's not looking good.

From the article:

“The Justice Department indicted Cherfilus-McCormick in November on charges that she stole and laundered $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funding. Her family’s health care company, Trinity Healthcare Services, had been working with FEMA through a Covid-19 vaccination contract, but then received a $5 million overpayment. The Justice Department alleged she and her brother never paid it back, routed it through multiple accounts and then used it to fund her successful 2022 special election campaign.”

The only correct answer to an overpayment of this size is — return it. Same goes for any overpayment.

I do wonder if there are any other financial misdeeds in our political system. If so, we should prosecute them, as well. Is there a white tech billionaire who has benefitted illegally from government contracts? Hmm, could be.

[MichMan]

2. Pretty brazen IMO

Sydney Bellwoar, the senior counsel for the Ethics panel, told lawmakers that Cherfilus-McCormick and her siblings "funneled more than $500,000 originating from Trinity into various outside organizations that made expenditures on behalf of the campaign.”

Bellwoar said “the most egregious example” of the scheme occurred on June 23, 2021, when Trinity transferred $2 million directly to Cherfilus-McCormick, who then moved the money to her campaign the next day to make her campaign appear strong.

After the end of the filing period, on July 2, counsel said, Cherfilus-McCormick “returned the money to herself nearly in full.”

[tritsofme]

3. She should resign and deal with her self-inflicted legal problems instead of dragging it out in public

[Celerity]

4. agree

[IcyPeas]

5. Now do trump