Florida Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned from Congress on Tuesday, hours before the House Ethics Committee was set to recommend sanctions or consider her expulsion over 25 ethics violations. She faces federal charges alleging she and her brother diverted $5 million in COVID-19-related disaster relief funds to her campaign—a scheme she denies. Her immediate exit marks the third House resignation this month amid scandals, following Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas).
Cherfilus-McCormick stepped down amid a House Ethics Committee probe that substantiated more than two dozen violations, including campaign finance breaches. Federal prosecutors charged in November 2025 that she and her brother diverted $5 million in federal disaster funds—overpayments from COVID-19 vaccinations to their healthcare company—to finance her 2021 congressional bid. A Miami federal judge postponed her trial to February 2027 for evidence review, but the committee proceeded, rejecting her new attorney's request for delay. In her statement, she called the process a 'witch hunt,' saying: 'This was not a fair process... By going forward with this process while a criminal indictment is pending, the Committee prevented me from defending myself. We should be very careful about the precedent we are setting. In this country, we do not punish people before due process is complete.'
NPR's Sam Gringlas noted this as the third resignation this month, after Swalwell—who denied assault claims but apologized to his family—and Gonzales, who admitted a staffer affair before her suicide. Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) faces ongoing Ethics scrutiny for sexual misconduct, dating violence, and campaign finance issues, insisting he did nothing wrong.
These cases signal a rare push toward expulsions, historically concentrated in the Civil War era. Lawmakers usually respect voter choices, but embattled members often resign preemptively. Former Ethics chair Charlie Dent blamed diminished political shame, likening it to Trump-era tactics. Rank-and-file members have threatened forced expulsion votes amid slow probes, amplified by social media. Georgetown's Matthew Glassman said scandals reinforce public perceptions of congressional impunity. The Ethics Committee reaffirmed its accountability commitment in a recent letter, though slim House margins (218R-213D, now four vacancies giving GOP a two-vote edge) complicate action. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will call a special election for her deep-blue Fort Lauderdale district.
