NEW: Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Faces FEC Complaint from CLC

Date
Issues
Campaign Finance

WASHINGTON — On April 20, 2026, Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick for allegedly orchestrating a complex "straw donor" scheme to funnel over $725,000 to her 2022 congressional campaign. These donations, which Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick failed to report, were made by two dark money organizations originally funded by a foreign government.

This is just one of the several counts of campaign finance fraud that Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick was found guilty of in an ongoing investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which plans to release its sanctions against the representative later today. CLC has previously filed an FEC complaint alleging wrongdoing by the campaign in April 2025.

“Accountability for Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick does not stop with the House Ethics Committee's investigation — the Federal Election Commission has a duty to enforce federal campaign finance laws, particularly when confronted with such egregious violations,” said Saurav Ghosh, director for federal campaign finance reform at Campaign Legal Center. “Straw donor schemes like the one operated by the representative and her inner circle undermine our democracy and leave voters in the dark. On top of openly violating federal contribution limits and the ban on corporate contributions, this scheme allowed a foreign government’s money to influence our elections. Regardless of what the House does, the FEC’s duty remains clear: Ensure that all those who broke the law are held responsible.”

Even though the House Ethics Committee is moving to hold Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick accountable, the FEC still has a duty to bring accountability forth for her and any other individuals and entities responsible for these campaign finance violations. Read more.

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The nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center advances democracy through law. We safeguard the freedom to vote, defend voters’ right to know who is spending money to influence elections, and work to ensure public trust in our elected officials.

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