(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) In a situation remarkably similar to that of former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., a Florida Democrat may have violated campaign finance rules, Just the News reported.
On Wednesday the House Committee on Ethics released a statement opening an investigation into Rep. Sheila Cherfilus–McCormick’s campaign finance history.
According to the report, the congresswoman may have 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.”
It has elsewhere been suggested that she used official funds to finance campaign advertisements via various news stations throughout Florida.
Yet the manual published by the House Ethics Committee indicates that official funds “may not be used for campaign or political purposes,” because in such an instance that would allow government funding to be “spent to help incumbents gain reelection.”
In other words, incumbents would be granted financial advantages by way of the public funding which they receive by virtue of holding office.
The alleged violations of Cherfilus–McCormick are akin to those of Santos, who was expelled from the legislative body last month, for misuse of government funds, among other things.
On Nov. 16, the House Committee on Ethics released a 56-page report detailing Santos’s alleged misuse of campaign money.
Santos is currently under investigation by the Justice Department but has yet to be convicted of any crime—a dubious historical footnote added to his status as only the sixth congressman and first Republican lawmaker to be expelled by the House.
Despite the unprecedented nature of the action, 105 Republicans joined a unanimous Democratic caucus to expel him, giving the GOP majority an even narrower margin.
Santos himself was outraged by the event.
“It is a predetermined necessity for some members in this body to engage in this smear campaign to destroy me. I will not stand by quietly,” he said on the House floor in his final days as a congressman.
“They want me out of this body,” he continued. “The people of the 3rd District of New York sent me here. If they want me out, they have to go silence those people.”
Given her party affiliation, one would expect that Cherfilus–McCormick will not receive the same treatment.
