WASHINGTON – Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida is facing significant challenges following a ruling by the House Ethics Committee, which found her guilty of numerous violations of House rules and ethics standards. This ruling, announced on Friday, could potentially pave the way for a Republican-led effort to expel her from Congress.
After a marathon seven-hour hearing, the bipartisan ethics panel, consisting of four Democrats and four Republicans, determined that Cherfilus-McCormick had committed 25 ethics violations, including infractions related to campaign finance laws. The committee plans to recommend a punishment in the coming weeks, raising questions about her future in Congress.
Central to the allegations against Cherfilus-McCormick is her receipt of millions from her family’s health care business, which followed an overpayment of roughly $5 million in disaster relief funds by Florida. The congresswoman is accused of misusing this money to finance her 2022 congressional campaign through a complex web of businesses and family members.
As she campaigns for a fourth term representing a southeastern Florida district, Cherfilus-McCormick has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. Her attorney criticized the public hearing — the first of its kind in nearly 15 years — as unfair. The ethics committee’s finding could complicate the Democratic caucus’s attempts to regain power in the upcoming November midterm elections.
In addition to the ethics violations, Cherfilus-McCormick also faces federal charges for allegedly misappropriating the $5 million in COVID-19 disaster relief funds, which she purportedly used for personal purchases, including a 3-carat yellow diamond ring. She has pleaded not guilty to these charges, with a trial expected to commence in the coming months.
During the ethics hearing, the congresswoman opted not to testify, invoking her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Her attorney, William Barzee, expressed frustration with the proceedings, arguing that a more thorough ethics trial should have been conducted, allowing for witness testimony and evidence to counter the findings of House investigators.
Barzee further accused the ethics panel of advancing a narrative to unjustly expel a duly elected representative based primarily on bank records. The committee’s 242-page report detailed 27 violations of House ethics standards, asserting that Cherfilus-McCormick misrepresented her campaign funding during her successful 2022 special election.
The ethics panel upheld all but two of the proposed violations, notably deciding against finding her guilty of receiving political assistance from an organization linked to an adviser and her husband that had received funding from the Haitian government. They also did not find her guilty of failing to cooperate with the ethics investigation.
Looking ahead, the full House Ethics Committee plans to convene after Congress’s two-week break in April to deliberate on appropriate punitive measures for Cherfilus-McCormick. Rep. Greg Steube, a Republican from Florida, has indicated he will push for a vote to expel her once the committee renders its decision.
Despite the findings, House Democratic leaders have refrained from condemning Cherfilus-McCormick, expressing a desire to let the ethics process unfold. Notably, members of the Congressional Black Caucus attended the hearing, signaling some level of support for her.
However, there are dissenting voices within the party. Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez from Washington state has publicly stated that, given the ethics committee’s findings, Cherfilus-McCormick should either resign or face removal.
Expulsion from Congress is a rare occurrence, requiring a two-thirds majority vote in the 435-member House. The last member to be expelled was Republican Rep. George Santos of New York in 2023, who raised concerns about the precedent such actions could set before a criminal trial is concluded.
As this situation unfolds, all eyes will be on the House Ethics Committee and the broader implications for the Democratic caucus as they prepare for the midterm elections.
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Kinnard reported from Columbia, S.C.
