WASHINGTON – An indictment, a House Ethics Committee report and an upcoming hearing have put Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., at risk of expulsion from the House in the coming months amid allegations of embezzling government funds.
An investigative subcommittee of the House Ethics Committee found “substantial evidence” supporting fraud charges against Cherfilus-McCormick, according to a report released last Thursday.
Cherfilus-McCormick was indicted in November 2025 by a federal grand jury on charges including conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering related to the alleged theft of over $5 million in FEMA funds.
In 2021, FEMA accidentally overpaid her family’s health care company, Trinity, for COVID-19 vaccinations. If convicted, she faces up to 53 years in prison.
According to the Ethics Committee’s report, “In total, at least [$3.6 million] of the funds paid to Trinity pursuant to the FDEM contract made its way into [Cherfilus-McCormick]’s campaign for at least some period of time.”
The indictment also accuses the Florida Democrat of using the overpayment to fund the purchase of a $109,000, 3.14-carat yellow diamond ring.
Cherfilus-McCormick’s lawyer entered a not guilty plea on her behalf in Miami federal court on Tuesday, while she was in Washington voting on the government shutdown deal.
The committee’s report also alleges that Cherfilus-McCormick failed to properly disclose her campaign and personal finances, accepted campaign donations over the legal limits and employed a volunteer in her congressional office in violation of House rules.
Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., called for the congresswoman’s resignation after the indictment in November, claiming he would call for a vote to expel her if she did not resign. An expulsion requires a two-thirds majority vote.
Last Thursday, Steube announced on X, “When we return to Washington, I’ll call up a resolution to expel her from Congress.”
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries denounced this move, telling lawmakers to wait until the process is complete.
“If, in fact, there is a resolution that’s brought to the floor to try to expel the congresswoman, it’s going to fail,” Jeffries said at a Friday press conference.
Following advice from GOP leaders, Steube later said he will wait to call for a vote to expel Cherfilus-McCormick until after the Ethics Committee’s March 5 trial.
The report found that “the timing and flow of funds transferred from Trinity to Respondent and SCM Consulting indicate the funds were transferred for the purpose of financing Respondent’s election campaign.”
Cherfilus-McCormick maintained her innocence after the committee announced the report.
“I reject these allegations and remain confident the full facts will make clear I did nothing wrong,” Cherfilus-McCormick said. “Until then, my focus remains where it belongs: delivering for my constituents and continuing the work they sent me to Washington to do.”
Cherfilus-McCormick represents South Florida’s 20th Congressional District, encompassing parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties. 26-year-old Democratic candidate Elijah Manley is running against her in the 2026 midterm election.
“I think the indictment really just shows us how selfish the congresswoman was during a pandemic in which our community was suffering,” Manley said. “She took the opportunity to steal from us, and now she’s being held accountable for that. You never truly get away with something you do. She’s learning that lesson right now.”
Manley said he worries that the district will be left without representation in Congress if Cherfilus-McCormick is expelled or convicted. He explained that whether a special election is called is up to Governor Ron DeSantis, who waited 10 months to call a special election after Rep. Alcee Hastings died in 2021.
“I 100% expect him to do the same here, maybe not even call a special election at all, because of the stakes of how close the razor-thin majority is for Republicans right now. But either way, we can’t have a member of Congress putting our district in jeopardy like this,” Manley said.
The House Ethics Committee has formed an adjudicatory subcommittee to “determine whether any counts in the [report] have been proved by clear and convincing evidence,” according to a press release from the committee.
The panel will hold a rare public hearing on March 5 to consider the charges against Cherfilus-McCormick. House rules require adjudicatory panels meet in open session unless they specifically vote otherwise.
The committee has not held a televised disciplinary hearing in almost 15 years.
Published in conjunction with 