New ethics report alleges Haiti-linked oil funds in Cherfilus-McCormick campaign

A new House Ethics Committee report alleges that more than $800,000 connected to a politically linked Haitian oil company was routed through outside groups to benefit U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2022 reelection campaign, according to reporting from the Miami Herald.

The report outlines 27 alleged violations, including claims that funds tied to PetroGaz-Haiti S.A. were funneled through a tax-exempt organization and a now-dissolved entity that investigators describe as shell companies. The entities allegedly paid vendors and consultants who also worked for the congresswoman’s campaign without properly disclosing the spending, the Herald reported.

The Herald also reports that North Miami Beach Mayor Michael Joseph, who chaired one of the organizations, and North Miami Mayor Alix Desulme are referenced in the findings. Desulme, through a political action committee focused on Haitian American outreach, is accused of coordinating certain expenditures connected to the campaign. Both mayors have either defended the congresswoman or declined to comment, according to the Herald.

Investigators allege the funds originated with PetroGaz-Haiti, which at the time had received millions of dollars from Haiti’s Ministry of Economy and Finance. The ethics committee does not make findings about the company’s ownership but traces the flow of money through political groups that supported Cherfilus-McCormick’s reelection effort.

Cherfilus-McCormick has denied wrongdoing and is scheduled to appear before a House ethics panel in March.

The latest allegations come as the congresswoman already faces federal charges related to an unrelated case involving alleged misuse of COVID-19 relief funds. In November, she was indicted on charges that she diverted $5 million in FEMA funds to finance her 2021 campaign and pleaded not guilty.

That earlier case marked a significant escalation in legal scrutiny surrounding the first Haitian-American woman from Florida elected to Congress, a development closely followed in Haiti news and across the Haitian Diaspora.

“The report is being deliberately misconstrued and mischaracterized, with a substantial amount of information left out to manufacture a particular narrative,” Cherfilus-McCormick said in a statement to the Miami Herald. “This is not about accountability, it’s a numbers game and a fight for the seat. Republicans are weaponizing the ethics process to steal the seat.”

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