A House Ethics subcommittee found that Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) committed wrongdoing on most of the 27 counts leveled against her in a monthslong investigation centered on allegations of financial misconduct.
Cherfilus-McCormick is accused of stealing $5 million in funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and funneling a portion of them to her campaign account. The subcommittee, which was carrying out the investigation on behalf of the full ethics panel, said it deliberated “well past midnight” after a rare public hearing for Cherfilus-McCormick began Thursday afternoon.
The subcommittee said on Friday that 25 of the 27 counts “had been proven.”
“Shortly after the House returns from April recess, the full committee will hold a hearing to determine what, if any, sanction would be appropriate for the Committee to recommend,” the Ethics subcommittee wrote.
The verdict from the Ethics Committee could result in the Florida congresswoman’s expulsion from the House as Democrats prepare to navigate a politically dicey vote. House Democratic leadership had been urging patience as her case made its way through the Ethics Committee, but on Friday, rank-and-file members began calling for her resignation.
“You can’t crime your way into legitimate power. Since she was found guilty, she should resign or be removed,” said Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA).
In a statement, Cherfilus-McCormick said, “I look forward to proving my innocence. Until then, my focus remains where it belongs: showing up for the great people of Florida’s 20th District who sent me to Washington to fight for them.”
Thursday marked the first time the Ethics Committee held a public hearing in over 15 years and was the result of 24 months of investigation. The last public hearing was the 2010 trial of then-Rep. Charles Rangel, a New York Democrat, on charges related to personal finances. Another trial was held for Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) that same year, but the panel found insufficient evidence to prove allegations against her.
“The allegations before us are extremely serious,” House Ethics Committee ranking member Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) said Thursday.
More than an hour of Thursday’s hearing was spent on Cherfilus-McCormick’s counsel asking the subcommittee to postpone the hearing, as she is awaiting criminal proceedings after being federally indicted in November 2025.
“There is a conflict between participating in both of those arenas at the same time. … It is a very risky endeavor, and when I say risky, the risk is to a violation of her constitutional rights to a fair trial,” said William Barzee, counsel for the congresswoman.
He argued that members of the public who could be selected as jurors may hear evidence at this committee hearing or read media reports that she was “convicted” by the panel or the full House, which could influence a jury.
However, the panel ultimately voted unanimously to move forward with the hearing.
In attendance was Elijah Manley, the top primary challenger to Cherfilus-McCormick. He told the Hill that it is “only fair” to hold the Florida congresswoman to the same standard as former Rep. George Santos, who was expelled from the House in a historic vote in 2023.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-FL), who does not serve on the Ethics panel, was also in attendance.
If Cherfilus-McCormick is expelled, she would be just the seventh member of the House to face that punishment. Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) said he plans to bring up his resolution to expel the congresswoman after the panel releases its final report.
Should the expulsion resolution come to the floor, eyes will be on Democrats to see how many in the caucus vote to expel her. In the case of Santos, more than 100 Republicans joined Democrats.
Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-CA) told reporters on Wednesday he did not want to “prejudge the outcome” but said Democrats “believe that Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick has an opportunity to defend herself both from the allegations here under the dome as well as those in a courtroom.”
WHO IS SHEILA CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK, THE CONGRESSWOMAN CHARGED WITH STEALING FEMA FUNDS?
“After the conclusion of those, we will see,” Aguilar said.
Santos was expelled after he was federally indicted but not yet convicted of any wrongdoing.