Today I wanted to share with you an update on FACT's most recent work and activities--this includes four filed complaints and several other news stories.
Rep. Shelia Cherfilus-McCormick.
FACT referred Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for a potential criminal investigation related to a $5.8 million overpayment her company received from the State of Florida and her alleged misuse of those funds during her 2021 congressional campaign.
This referral builds on a previous ethics complaint filed by FACT with the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) in March 2025 and comes amid ongoing investigations into Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick by both the OCE and House Ethics Committee. The OCE has already found substantial evidence of misconduct, including improper campaign contributions, personal favors for friends, and misrepresentation of campaign finances.
At the center of this new referral is the $5.8 million mistakenly paid by the State of Florida to Trinity Health Care Services while Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick served as CEO. Despite the payment being 100 times more than the company was owed, Trinity kept the funds. Around the same time, Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick’s income increased by more than $6 million, all from entities tied to her, her family, or Trinity. In the midst of this situation Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick also loaned a similar amount of money to her campaign, while her congressional financial disclosures showed no corresponding increase in her personal assets. Although Florida demanded repayment, Trinity refused, leading to a lawsuit and eventual settlement in April. The company agreed to repay $5.6 million over the next 15 years, revealing it no longer had the funds on hand. Although the evidence above suggests what happened to the $5 million, the Justice Department is in a unique position to discover the truth of the matter.
You can read FACT's complaint here, and media coverage by the Washington Examiner: Watchdog refers House Democrat embroiled in ethics controversies to DOJ.
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
FACT filed a complaint requesting the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability investigate and take appropriate action against Mayor Bowser to determine if she accepted illegal gifts of travel and hospitality regarding several of her recent prominent trips. Despite public inquiries, the mayor’s office has either ignored questions or provided false information about her travels.
In 2023, Mayor Bowser and four of her staffers traveled to Dubai, but there were no public records showing who funded the trip--except a three-night $3,500 taxpayer-paid hotel stay in Dubai from Bowser’s Chief of Staff. When questioned by the press, the mayor’s office initially said the trip was paid for by the D.C. Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber later said that was NOT true. Then, the mayor’s office said the trip was paid for by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. That was also false. In February 2025, the mayor's office sent a letter to Qatar revealing it was Qatar that actually paid for the trip, but shockingly, it wasn’t until a March 2025 FOIA request that this information was publicly revealed.
A full copy of the complaint can be found here, or you can read coverage by the media below:Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
FACT filed a complaint requesting the Conflicts of Interest Board investigate former New York Governor and current New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo for failing to disclose financial interests as required by law.
One of the most basic and fundamental ethics laws applicable to candidates and elected officials requires them to publicly disclose their financial interests—accurate and timely filing is the only method to determine whether elected officials have conflicts of interest or are wrongfully profiting from their position.
In March 2024, Andrew Cuomo joined the Executive Advisory Board of Nano Nuclear Energy and was compensated with both cash and stock options. After Cuomo officially announced his candidacy for Mayor of New York City, he filed the required financial disclosures but he did NOT disclose stock options he held that were at that time worth millions of dollars. It was only AFTER the media discovered his omission and confronted him, that the information was disclosed.
This type of information, namely a significant financial interest in a company that is oftentimes affected by government action, is exactly the type of conflict of interest the law seeks to expose. The law relies on candidates honestly and fully disclosing all information; it does not allow for candidates to pick and choose what assets they disclose and then 'update' their disclosures if the media or public discovers omissions.
You can read the complaint here and media coverage:
Project Winchester.
FACT filed a complaint requesting the Federal Election Commission (FEC) investigate and take proper action against this organization. Despite advocating against a political candidate and apparently spending significant funds to do so, Project Winchester has not registered with the FEC and remains anonymous. The importance of this matter lies in the fact that our laws do not allow for anonymous political advocacy–you have a right to advocate against someone, but not in secret. The public has the right to assess the veracity of advocacy based upon the source, which is obviously impossible in this situation.
Project Winchester is a Wyoming-based organization that advocates for the defeat of Congresswoman Harriet Hageman in the 2026 midterm elections. Since at least June 2025, the group has operated a website and an X account with the stated mission to "remove Hageman from office and defend Wyoming’s public lands." The group has solicited contributions, mobilized volunteers, and, claims to have undertaken a statewide advertising campaign. The costs of these activities -- combined with the expenses associated with launching and managing digital platforms -- likely exceeds $1,000, which surpasses the threshold requiring registration as a political committee with the FEC.
You can read FACT's complaint here.
"FACT In The News"
These articles below all contain quotes by FACT or include prior FACT complaints or actions.
FACT will continue to fight for all politicians to be held accountable and keep you updated as to the newest developments. Thank you for your continued support of FACT.
Kendra Arnold
Executive Director
Foundation for Accountability & Civic Trust
Washington, D.C. USA
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Reviewed by Diogenes
on
July 23, 2025
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