Indicted Democrat Cherfilus-McCormick resigns from Congress minutes before ethics hearing
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick quit the House on Tuesday afternoon, minutes before a House Ethics Committee hearing was set to recommend sanctions against her and days before a near-certain expulsion vote.The Florida Democrat, facing a 15-count federal criminal indictment over an alleged $5 million FEMA fraud scheme, posted her resignation on social media and was not on the House floor when it was read aloud.
Her exit marks the third congressional resignation in a single week--Democrat Eric Swalwell and Republican Tony Gonzales, and ends a saga that saw bipartisan calls for her removal, a grand jury indictment, and an ethics panel finding that she committed 25 of 27 alleged violations. The timing, just before the committee could formally act, stripped the panel of jurisdiction and spared Cherfilus-McCormick a public sanctions hearing.
House Ethics Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., confirmed the committee lost its authority the moment she resigned.
"In light of Ms. McCormick's resignation earlier today, the Committee on Ethics has now lost jurisdiction on this matter. There will not be a sanctions hearing."The ethics case against Cherfilus-McCormick stretched more than two years. Committee staff reviewed tens of thousands of documents before the panel found in March what it called "clear and convincing evidence" that the congresswoman misused federal disaster relief money improperly paid to her family's healthcare company.
Federal prosecutors allege she stole $5 million in FEMA relief funds through the company and used some of the money to support her 2022 special election campaign.
A special House Ethics Committee panel ultimately found her guilty on 25 of 27 ethics violations after a lengthy investigation, including campaign finance-related misconduct tied to millions of dollars routed through businesses and family members.
Read about this Democrat
She won in a special election to fill Alcee Hastings seat.
