Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned minutes before the House Ethics Committee was to vote on recommending her expulsion, effectively removing the committee's jurisdiction and prompting cancellation of the planned recommendation. The resignation follows a multi-year Ethics probe and public committee proceedings that reported findings on multiple counts. Federal prosecutors allege she and her brother diverted about $5 million in FEMA COVID-19 vaccine funds into campaign accounts; she denies wrongdoing and still faces a federal trial in Florida.
Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Resigns Minutes Before Ethics Committee Vote Amid Federal Probe
Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, left, appeared in Miami federal court on Tuesday, Jan. 20.Credit: Pedro Portal/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty
Florida Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick abruptly resigned roughly 20 minutes before the House Ethics Committee was set to vote on whether to recommend her expulsion from Congress, a rare step in modern congressional history.
Resignation and Timing
Cherfilus-McCormick posted her resignation on X at 1:56 p.m. ET; committee chair Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.) read her letter into the congressional record beginning at 2:08 p.m. ET. Her departure came just before the committee's planned vote to decide whether to send an expulsion recommendation to the full House.
A name placard for former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., at a House Ethics Committee hearing on April 21.Credit: Anna Moneymaker/Getty
Committee Proceedings and Jurisdiction
Because she had ceased to be a member of Congress, the Ethics Committee no longer had jurisdiction over her, and lawmakers canceled the planned recommendation vote. Cherfilus-McCormick did not appear at the hearing.
Her Statement
Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick at a House Ethics Committee hearing on March 26.Credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty
“This was not a fair process. I will not stand by and pretend that this has been anything other than a witch hunt,” she wrote in her resignation statement, criticizing the committee's handling and scheduling of the matter.
Allegations and Legal Status
Federal prosecutors allege that Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother conspired to divert about $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds, designated for COVID-19 vaccination efforts, into campaign coffers. She has denied the allegations and continues to contest the charges. A federal criminal trial in Florida is still pending.
Ethics Probe
Former Reps. Eric Swalwell of California and Tony Gonzales of Texas.Credit: ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP via Getty; Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty
The Ethics Committee's investigation spanned roughly three years and included a public proceeding—the first of its kind in many years—that produced findings on multiple counts reported during committee sessions.
Broader House Context
Cherfilus-McCormick's resignation is the third recent departure in the narrowly divided House, following the recent resignations of Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), both of whom faced separate controversies. The last member expelled by House vote before these events was Rep. George Santos in December 2023.
What Comes Next
With the Ethics Committee no longer able to act, the federal criminal case in Florida will proceed independently. Cherfilus-McCormick maintains her innocence and has stated she will continue to fight the allegations in court.
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