House ethics probes mount as Democrat rep resigns, GOP rep faces expulsion vote
Florida Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigns just before her expulsion hearing, facing ethics probes. This news leads to discussions about other members of Congress facing scrutiny, including Republican Rep. Cory Mills and Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar. Mills faces a potential expulsion vote over domestic violence allegations, while Omar’s financial disclosures and alleged marriage fraud are under investigation.
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Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is still registered to run for reelection despite having resigned from office amid congressional and federal probes for allegedly mishandling disaster relief funding for personal gain.
On April 17, Cherfilus-McCormick submitted notice of her candidacy to the Florida Department of State as a Democrat — just a week before officially stepping down from office.
She resigned on Tuesday.
The filing raises questions about whether Cherfilus-McCormick believes she can still pursue political office despite facing intense scrutiny in the moment.
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Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., speaks after being sworn in during a ceremony in the Broward County Commission chambers in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Jan. 27, 2025. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service)
Her office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Cherfilus-McCormick’s decision to resign from office came right before the House Ethics Committee was scheduled to recommend punishment for misusing disaster relief funding that she allegedly funneled through several companies into her campaign coffers. The committee found that she had committed 18 campaign finance violations, five counts of false financial disclosures, three counts of misusing official funds and one count of lack of candor.
In light of those allegations, Cherfilus-McCormick maintained her innocence but announced that she would defend herself outside of her time in office.
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., has rejected calls to resign despite an imminent expulsion vote. She is also running for re-election. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service)
“This was not a fair process. The Ethics Committee refused my new attorney’s reasonable request for time to prepare my defense. I simply cannot stand by and allow my due process rights to be trampled on, and my good name to be tarnished,” Cherfilus-McCormick said in a press release.
“Rather than play these political games, I choose to step away so that I can devote my time to fighting for my neighbors in Florida’s 20th district. I hereby resign from the 119th Congress, effective immediately.”
While Cherfilus-McCormick departure from Congress halted the Ethics Committee’s authority over her, she also faces federal charges.
FEDERAL CHARGES FILED AGAINST DEM CONGRESSWOMAN FOLLOWING CONFRONTATION AT ICE FACILITY
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., leaves the U.S. Capitol after the last votes of the week on March 27, 2025. She is facing an expulsion threat after a House panel found her guilty of more than two dozen ethics violations. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)
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She was indicted by a Miami grand jury in November of last year for allegedly stealing $5 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has not yet announced a date for a special election to fill her vacant seat.
