CLC Alleges Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick Illegally Used “Soft Money” to Bolster Campaign

On April 7, 2025, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging that Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who represents Florida’s 20th Congressional District in Congress, violated federal laws that prohibit federal candidates from directly or indirectly spending “soft money” — funds that don’t comply with federal contribution limits, source prohibitions, and reporting requirements — in connection with a federal election. Both directly and through her de facto campaign manager Mark Goodrich, Cherfilus-McCormick appears to have paid for goods and services provided to her congressional campaign committee using soft money funneled through a Florida state PAC that Goodrich controlled. CLC’s complaint also alleges that Cherfilus-McCormick’s campaign committee violated its reporting obligations under the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), and appears to have knowingly accepted prohibited corporate contributions.