House Ethics Committee finds violations by Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick

House Ethics Committee found Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick guilty of 25 ethics violations after rare public hearing on campaign finance misconduct.

Objective Facts

A special panel of the bipartisan House Ethics Committee determined on Friday that Florida Democrat Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick was guilty of 25 ethics violations, including commingling of campaign and personal funds, after deliberations that lasted until well past midnight with clear and convincing evidence found on all but two of 27 counts. She was indicted in November over allegations she stole $5 million in disaster relief funds and used it to bankroll her 2021 special election campaign, with federal prosecutors alleging she funneled money to support her campaign using FEMA overpayments distributed to Trinity Healthcare services, her family's company. Investigators alleged the congresswoman committed 27 violations, including improper receipt of funds and commingling of personal and campaign funds, reviewing over 33,000 documents and conducting 28 witness interviews. In April, the committee will recommend a punishment to be voted on by the full House, something that could range from a censure, removal from committees, or expulsion itself.

Left-Leaning Perspective

A growing number of House Democrats are calling on Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick to resign after the House Ethics Committee found her guilty of dozens of charges, including serious financial misconduct, with some lawmakers at least open to voting to expel the Florida Democrat. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez said Cherfilus-McCormick should resign or be removed and later told Axios she would vote to expel her, Rep. Scott Peters said her resignation would be easier for everyone and that every member of Congress regardless of party must respond to such misbehavior, Rep. Becca Balint said she should resign but also called for Republicans to address similar conduct, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal said Cherfilus-McCormick should resign and she would vote for expulsion but also wants the party to address other members' ethical violations. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries declined to weigh in until after the Ethics Committee's mid-April meeting, saying the Ethics Committee has one final step in their process and he's not going to get out ahead of that process, with more to say afterward. Jeffries' refusal so far to condemn Cherfilus-McCormick's conduct mirrors the relative silence of the Democratic caucus, though moderate Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez was the first Democratic lawmaker to publicly issue a statement Friday calling on Cherfilus-McCormick to resign or be removed after the guilty verdict, stating you cannot crime your way into legitimate power and since she was found guilty, she should resign or be removed. House Democratic leaders have declined to condemn Cherfilus-McCormick and said they wanted to see the ethics process play out, with a couple of members of the Congressional Black Caucus showing up to the start of the ethics hearing Thursday in an apparent show of support. The prospect of expulsion puts some Democrats in a tough spot—while they want to appear tough on corruption, some believe the ethics process was rushed and will interfere with Cherfilus-McCormick's coming day in court, and with tight margins in the House, losing a Democrat would give Speaker Mike Johnson and his GOP majority more breathing room.

Right-Leaning Perspective

Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., said Friday in a post on X that he will try to expel Cherfilus-McCormick once the Ethics Committee makes its recommendation about how to sanction her. House Speaker Mike Johnson called the allegations against Cherfilus-McCormick a very serious matter and noted the internal process must play out, saying you look at all the factors and figure that out, with the speaker saying in this case it seems that this member of Congress has egregiously violated the law and exploited taxpayers and all the rest, and that would be a harsh penalty necessary for that. Her new attorney William Barzee repeatedly claimed a violation of Cherfilus-McCormick's due process rights while maintaining her innocence, but Chairman Michael Guest pushed back in a combative exchange, saying for her to suggest the committee is trying to trample upon her client's rights is offensive, noting for two years they've tried to get documents from her client and have not only requested documents but subpoenaed them, with those documents not provided for two years, and that he is personally offended because he knows the work the committee goes to protect all members. Rep. Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas, stated he drafted many profit-sharing agreements before coming to Congress and never saw one that was just a chart that was unsigned. The National Republican Congressional Committee, House Republicans' campaign arm, ripped congressional Democrats' lack of outrage over Cherfilus-McCormick's conduct, with NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella saying the Ethics Committee just confirmed that Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick broke the rules and House Democrats are still saying nothing. The expectation among many members is that Cherfilus-McCormick, if she does not resign, will face a vote to expel her from the House, with Rep. Greg Steube saying he is preparing to call up his resolution to expel Cherfilus-McCormick as soon as the Ethics panel completes that formal process.

Deep Dive

After a rare and dramatic public hearing, a special House Ethics subcommittee on Friday found Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., guilty of 25 ethics charges, capping a three-year investigation into allegations she stole millions in federal relief funds and funneled some of that to her congressional campaign. The report shed new light on Cherfilus-McCormick's efforts to bolster her congressional campaign after two unsuccessful bids in 2018 and 2020, and she was elected to represent Florida's 20th Congressional District in a special election in 2022, replacing the late Rep. Alcee Hastings, a Democrat, following his death in 2021. The central issue is straightforward: a $5 million FEMA overpayment to her family's healthcare company during the pandemic was allegedly commingled with campaign funds, misrepresented as self-financed money, and used for personal purchases. Jeffries' refusal so far to condemn Cherfilus-McCormick's conduct mirrors the relative silence of the Democratic caucus, though moderate Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez was the first Democratic lawmaker to publicly issue a statement Friday calling on Cherfilus-McCormick to resign or be removed after the guilty verdict. The key tension: Republicans see this as hypocrisy given Democrats previously pushed to expel George Santos, while Democrats worry about losing a seat in a narrowly divided House and question whether the public ethics hearing prejudices her federal trial. Right-leaning critics note the investigation was bipartisan and thorough, undermining claims of due process violations. Left-leaning defenders argue the timing is problematic and emphasize the criminal case should take precedence. Neither side disputes the committee's evidence; the disagreement centers on consequences and whether the proceeding jeopardizes fair trial rights—a legal question, not an empirical one. In April, the committee will recommend a punishment to be voted on by the full House, something that could range from a censure, removal from committees, or expulsion itself. The critical next step is whether Democratic leaders—particularly Minority Leader Jeffries—will support or block an expulsion vote if recommended. It takes a vote of two-thirds of the House, requiring substantial Democratic support, to expel a member from the chamber. If Democrats fracture along the Marie Gluesenkamp Perez model and support expulsion, Cherfilus-McCormick's seat will likely be lost. If they unified behind Jeffries' earlier statement that expulsion "will fail," she survives—but at the political cost of appearing to protect their own after criticizing Republicans for similar conduct.

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House Ethics Committee finds violations by Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick

House Ethics Committee found Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick guilty of 25 ethics violations after rare public hearing on campaign finance misconduct.

Mar 28, 2026· Updated Mar 31, 2026
What's Going On

A special panel of the bipartisan House Ethics Committee determined on Friday that Florida Democrat Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick was guilty of 25 ethics violations, including commingling of campaign and personal funds, after deliberations that lasted until well past midnight with clear and convincing evidence found on all but two of 27 counts. She was indicted in November over allegations she stole $5 million in disaster relief funds and used it to bankroll her 2021 special election campaign, with federal prosecutors alleging she funneled money to support her campaign using FEMA overpayments distributed to Trinity Healthcare services, her family's company. Investigators alleged the congresswoman committed 27 violations, including improper receipt of funds and commingling of personal and campaign funds, reviewing over 33,000 documents and conducting 28 witness interviews. In April, the committee will recommend a punishment to be voted on by the full House, something that could range from a censure, removal from committees, or expulsion itself.

Left says: A growing number of House Democrats are calling on Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick to resign after the House Ethics Committee found her guilty of dozens of charges, including serious financial misconduct, with some lawmakers at least open to voting to expel the Florida Democrat.
Right says: Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., said Friday in a post on X that he will try to expel Cherfilus-McCormick once the Ethics Committee makes its recommendation about how to sanction her.
✓ Common Ground
Both perspectives acknowledge the factual finding that Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick was guilty of 25 ethics violations including commingling of campaign and personal funds.
Both sides acknowledge that expulsion requires a two-thirds vote, meaning substantial Democratic support would be necessary for such a move.
Both left and right outlets reference the bipartisan nature of the House Ethics Committee investigation that probed Cherfilus-McCormick since 2023 and in December accused her of the 27 violations ranging from improper receipt of funds to disregarding limitations on volunteer work.
Both acknowledge the investigation was conducted by a bipartisan subcommittee and reviewed substantial evidence over two years, with over 33,000 documents and 28 witness interviews.
Objective Deep Dive

After a rare and dramatic public hearing, a special House Ethics subcommittee on Friday found Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., guilty of 25 ethics charges, capping a three-year investigation into allegations she stole millions in federal relief funds and funneled some of that to her congressional campaign. The report shed new light on Cherfilus-McCormick's efforts to bolster her congressional campaign after two unsuccessful bids in 2018 and 2020, and she was elected to represent Florida's 20th Congressional District in a special election in 2022, replacing the late Rep. Alcee Hastings, a Democrat, following his death in 2021. The central issue is straightforward: a $5 million FEMA overpayment to her family's healthcare company during the pandemic was allegedly commingled with campaign funds, misrepresented as self-financed money, and used for personal purchases.

Jeffries' refusal so far to condemn Cherfilus-McCormick's conduct mirrors the relative silence of the Democratic caucus, though moderate Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez was the first Democratic lawmaker to publicly issue a statement Friday calling on Cherfilus-McCormick to resign or be removed after the guilty verdict. The key tension: Republicans see this as hypocrisy given Democrats previously pushed to expel George Santos, while Democrats worry about losing a seat in a narrowly divided House and question whether the public ethics hearing prejudices her federal trial. Right-leaning critics note the investigation was bipartisan and thorough, undermining claims of due process violations. Left-leaning defenders argue the timing is problematic and emphasize the criminal case should take precedence. Neither side disputes the committee's evidence; the disagreement centers on consequences and whether the proceeding jeopardizes fair trial rights—a legal question, not an empirical one.

In April, the committee will recommend a punishment to be voted on by the full House, something that could range from a censure, removal from committees, or expulsion itself. The critical next step is whether Democratic leaders—particularly Minority Leader Jeffries—will support or block an expulsion vote if recommended. It takes a vote of two-thirds of the House, requiring substantial Democratic support, to expel a member from the chamber. If Democrats fracture along the Marie Gluesenkamp Perez model and support expulsion, Cherfilus-McCormick's seat will likely be lost. If they unified behind Jeffries' earlier statement that expulsion "will fail," she survives—but at the political cost of appearing to protect their own after criticizing Republicans for similar conduct.

◈ Tone Comparison

Left-leaning outlets emphasize Democratic divisions and procedural caution, using measured language like "declining to weigh in" and "waiting for the process to complete." Right-leaning outlets use stronger language such as "egregiously violated the law" and "exploited taxpayers," and directly attack Democratic leadership's "silence" and perceived hypocrisy, creating a sharper moral judgment of the violations and the party's response.

✕ Key Disagreements
Democratic leadership response to the findings
Left: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he is not going to get out ahead of the Ethics Committee process that will be completed upon return and then he will have more to say, with House Democratic Conference Chairman Pete Aguilar adding that doesn't sound good when told the body determined she committed 25 ethics violations.
Right: The National Republican Congressional Committee criticized congressional Democrats' lack of outrage over Cherfilus-McCormick's conduct, with spokesman saying the Ethics Committee just confirmed that Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick broke the rules and House Democrats are still saying nothing.
Whether the ethics process was fair to Cherfilus-McCormick
Left: Some Democrats believe the ethics process was rushed and will interfere with Cherfilus-McCormick's coming day in court.
Right: Republicans note that the committee subpoenaed documents from Cherfilus-McCormick that were not provided for two years, contradicting defense claims the process was inadequate.
Profit-sharing agreement defense
Left: The defense attorney argued there was evidence of a profit-sharing agreement for the family company that means she was entitled to every single penny that she received from her family's company after the improper payment, but lawmakers were skeptical of that argument and of the supporting evidence.
Right: Republicans highlighted that the profit-sharing agreement was just an unsigned chart and questioned the defense claim that a handshake agreement is culturally typical for someone of Haitian descent.
Political implications for Democratic control of the House
Left: Some Democrats worry that expulsion puts them in a tough spot because with tight margins in the House, losing a Democrat would give Speaker Mike Johnson and his GOP majority more breathing room.
Right: Republicans emphasize that expulsion requires a two-thirds vote and substantial Democratic support, positioning the decision as a test of Democratic commitment to ethics over party loyalty.