A company owned by Democrat Congressional candidate Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick gave more than $20,000 to a Florida political committee tied to her Republican-friendly campaign advisor, records show. Last month, REDBROWARD revealed the Leadership In Action political committee received more than $143,000 from SCM Consulting Group LLC.

LEADERSHIP IN ACTION?

According to State records, on March 12,2021 Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick formed SCM Consulting Group LLC. Cherfilus-McCormick used her parents’ Miramar address as the business address for SCM Consulting Group LLC. Two months later, SCM Consulting Group began making large contributions to the Leadership In Action political committee.

The address for Leadership In Action is the same Cooper City address used by controversial political consultant Mark Goodrich. According to published reports, Mark Goodrich is no stranger to controversial electioneering tactics and Republican candidates.

In 2005, Florida Governor Jeb Bush took legal action to keep the Americans For Jeb Bush political committee from using his name and likeness to raise money. The Tampa Bay Times reported the committee was “backed partly by Mark Goodrich, a conservative political activist and fund raiser who worked on Rick Lazio’s unsuccessful 2000 U.S. Senate campaign against Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In 2009, Mark Goodrich bragged to the Sun-Sentinel about his ability to reach out to Republican voters in Fort Lauderdale. Goodrich was the consultant for mayoral candidate Earl Rynerson.

“Earl definitely would be very favorable to the Republican Party,” Goodrich told the Sun-Sentinel. “We’re going to reach out to Republicans.” Goodrich said “that was one reason Rynerson decided to put the words ‘Lt. Colonel’ in front of his name.”

Later, Goodrich rejected calls to label the openly gay Rynerson as a “gay candidate.”

“He’s not running to be the city’s first gay mayor, his campaign manager, Mark Goodrich, said. ‘He’s not running to be the first gay anything. I could say he’s running to be the first lieutenant colonel mayor.’”

In 2015, ethical investigations swirled around worked performed by the Moving Forward PC in Homestead. Goodrich was a paid consultant for Moving Forward.

In 2016, Mark Goodrich performed “community outreach” for Miami-Dade Republican Raquel Regalado when she ran for mayor.

BIG BUCKS FROM SHEILA CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK COMPANY

In September, State of Florida election records show Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick’s company paid $20,915 to Leadership In Action. Since May 3, 2021, SCM Consulting Group LLC paid $143,317.69 to the political committee.

The same records show Leadership In Action paid ten payments to Mark Goodrich in September totaling $19,000 for “consulting.” Since May 2021, Goodrich has been paid $82,000 by Leadership In Action.

When REDBROWARD asked Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick about Mark Goodrich, she admitted he was “one of many” consultants helping her campaign.

Cherfilus-McCormick was less forthcoming when asked why her brand new corporation was paying show much money to the Leadership In Action.

Cherfilus-McCormick tried to say she did not remember and would have to review her records. When asked why a CEO and lawyer couldn’t recall the details of large payments to a political committee tied to her campaign consultant, Cherfilus-McCormick claimed the payments were for “medical services canvassing” work done by Goodrich.

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is a Democrat candidate for U.S. Congress District 20.