WASHINGTON D.C. – A new report is digging into potential ethics violations of Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.
In a unanimous vote, the board of the Congressional Ethics Office ruled there is probable cause to believe the South Florida Democrat accepted campaign donations linked to official actions, a potential violation of campaign finance law.
The board also found what it calls substantial reason to believe the congresswoman earmarked community project funding for a for-profit entity and may have violated other rules around campaign donations.
The report does not get into specifics, however it does clear Cherfilus-Mccormick of two other allegations, saying there is no reason to believe she granted special favors to friends or misrepresented campaign donations.
The House Ethics Committee wrote: “The mere fact of a continued investigation into these allegations does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred.”
The probe into the Democratic congresswoman launched last year.
In a statement to Local 10, Cherfilus-McCormick wrote, in part: “I fully respect the process and remain committed to cooperating with the Committee as it works to bring this inquiry to a close.”
The report tees up the next step in the investigation that will be handled directly by the House Ethics Committee.