In this Florida race for Congress, no transparency means no endorsement
Voters in South Florida’s 20th Congressional District nominated Sheila Cherfilus- McCormick in a Democratic primary on Nov. 2 in one of the tightest races in Florida history.
She defeated Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness by just five votes out of more than 49,000 cast in a packed field of 11 candidates. A recount confirmed her victory in a depressingly low- turnout election that delivered far less than a mandate. She got less than 24% of all votes cast in parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties, which means three out of four voters chose another candidate.
Cherfilus- McCormick, 41, will likely do much better in the general election on Jan. 11 because she’s the only Democrat on the ballot in an overwhelmingly Democratic district. She has four opponents: Republican Jason Mariner, Libertarian Mike ter Maat and two others with no party affiliation, Jim Flynn and Leonard Serratore.
Obviously, she’s a heavy favorite. Unfortunately, we cannot endorse her because she will not comply with a routine federal financial disclosure law. Her refusal to provide a basic summary of her financial assets needlessly damages her credibility. It is secretive and arrogant and leaves the unmistakable impression that she has something to hide. It also appears illegal — but that’s for the U. S. Department of Justice to decide.
Pie- in- the- sky plan
The secrecy is all the more troubling because of how Cherfilus- McCormick won the primary. As chief executive of a Miramar home health care company, she lent her campaign more than $ 3 million to pay for TV ads and brochures promoting a pie- in- the- sky plan to give $ 1,000 a month in free money to voters through a something- for- nothing “people’s prosperity plan” that has no chance of ever passing Congress.
It’s a phony promise paid for with mystery money. Where did that $ 3 million come from? The public has a right to know, but Cherfilus- McCormick won’t tell us. That shows contempt for transparency and fair play and a lack of respect for her future constituents.
The origin of that money is particularly important. Trinity Health Care Services, where Cherfilus- McCormick is CEO, received two federal Paycheck Protection Program loans in April totaling $ 2.4 million, according to federal databases. By July, she had loaned her campaign the very similar amount of $ 2.3 million. Correlation or coincidence? The candidate has not been accused of wrongdoing, and she denied the loans had anything to do with her campaign. But disclosure would answer these nagging questions.
Instead, she made matters worse, accusing critics of racism. “For some reason, we’re not supposed to be successful enough to put money in our account, and it’s not just me,” Cherfilus- McCormick told the Sun Sentinel. “It’s racist. It’s a racist comment, racist idea. The obsession with it is because you believe that a Black woman should not be able to be successful enough to do the same thing that her white counterparts have been doing.”
If her hard- earned money paid for those ads, good for her. Just tell us. Expecting a candidate for Congress to obey the laws Congress passes is not racist.
The disclosure requirements are part of the Ethics in Government Act ( EIGA), adopted by Congress in a reform era after the Watergate scandal in the 1970s. The reason financial disclosure laws exist is so that voters can make informed judgments about candidates and to expose conflicts of interest. Violations can result in fines of $ 50,000.
A public trust
Cherfilus- McCormick’s emergence as a political force should be cause for celebration, as she would be the first
Haitian- American in Congress. But a public office is a public trust that demands the highest ethical standards.
We can’t recommend any of the other candidates, because, from what we know, their positions on the issues are far outside the prevailing views of district voters. Libertarian ter Maat accepted our invitation to an online interview, and his answers in a Sun Sentinel questionnaire are substantive and thought- provoking. But ter Maat, a former Republican, voiced contempt for the public education “monopoly” in America at a time when public schools face unwarranted partisan attacks.
The only good news here is if Cherfilus- McCormick is elected, she will serve a few months before having to launch a bid for another campaign — this time for a full two- year term in a redrawn district. Her contempt for financial disclosure alone is enough to attract a credible challenger.
In Congressional District 20, the Sun Sentinel makes no endorsement.
The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Editorial Page Editor Dan Sweeney, and Editor- in- Chief Julie Anderson. Editorials are the opinion of the Board and written by one of its members or a designee. To contact us, email at letters@sun- sentinel.com.