Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick announced her resignation from the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, stepping down just hours before the House Ethics Committee was set to determine her punishment. The third-term Florida Democrat had been found guilty of 25 ethics violations tied to an alleged $5 million campaign finance scheme involving COVID-19 disaster relief funds.
Her announcement came on the same day that the bipartisan Ethics Committee was scheduled to hold a public hearing on what sanctions to recommend, with options ranging from censure to a full expulsion recommendation. According to CNN, Cherfilus-McCormick issued a statement announcing her departure from Congress shortly before that hearing was set to begin.
The Ethics Committee’s counsel had described the 25 violations as “very serious standing on their own,” noting that the scope and ongoing nature of the conduct, along with the congresswoman’s refusal to accept responsibility, could be treated as aggravating factors.
What the ethics case was about
The charges against Cherfilus-McCormick centered on a $5 million overpayment Florida made to her family’s healthcare company for COVID-19 vaccination services. Investigators concluded that those funds were funneled through a network of businesses and family members into her 2022 congressional campaign, which presented itself publicly as self-financed.
Beyond the campaign finance charges, the Ethics Committee’s 59-page report accused the congresswoman of using those funds on luxury goods, including jewelry from Tiffany & Co., a Tesla, designer clothing, high-end hotels, and a cruise. She declined to testify during the proceedings, citing her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
In March, an adjudicatory subcommittee concluded after a nearly seven-hour televised “trial” that 25 of the 27 allegations against her had been proven by clear and convincing evidence. Cherfilus-McCormick has maintained her innocence throughout, pleading not guilty to separate federal criminal charges that could carry a sentence of more than 50 years if she were convicted.
Expulsion was closing in
By Tuesday morning, the political math had turned sharply against Cherfilus-McCormick. More than 30 Democratic members had signaled their willingness to vote for her expulsion, which would have required roughly 80 Democrats to join Republicans in reaching the two-thirds threshold.
House Speaker Mike Johnson had called the Ethics Committee’s findings “alarming” and said it would be “the consensus of this body that she should be expelled.” Meanwhile, Rep. Greg Steube of Florida had already vowed to force an expedited floor vote on expulsion regardless of what sanction the committee recommended.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries had carefully avoided taking a public position but told reporters Monday that Democrats would gather as a caucus after the committee hearing and “follow the facts and apply the relevant law without fear or favor.” Several Democratic colleagues, including Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Pramila Jayapal, had already said they would vote to remove her.
This is part of a broader wave of congressional misconduct cases. Democrats are also using blackmail files to control their own party, according to a warning from White House adviser Stephen Miller. Separately, some House Democrats had even introduced a bill to remove President Donald Trump via the 25th Amendment.
A pattern of departures
Cherfilus-McCormick’s exit follows a turbulent stretch for the House. Just one week before her resignation, Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas both left Congress under pressure from ethics investigations into alleged sexual misconduct. Speaker Johnson specifically cited those two departures Tuesday as evidence that resigning before an expulsion vote is the typical path for members in this position.
Only six members have ever been expelled from the House in U.S. history, most recently Rep. George Santos in 2023. A successful expulsion of Cherfilus-McCormick would have made her just the second member in three years to be removed by her colleagues. Her federal criminal trial has been delayed until February 2027.
