Florida Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick announced her resignation Tuesday, stepping down from the U.S. House of Representatives just before a scheduled ethics hearing that could have led to her expulsion.
The South Florida Democrat had been under mounting scrutiny for months, with a House Ethics Committee panel previously finding she committed more than two dozen violations of federal law and congressional rules. According to reporting by Florida Daily, the findings included widespread campaign finance violations and failures to properly disclose contributions tied to her 2022 campaign.
Those ethics findings were tied to a broader federal criminal case. Prosecutors allege Cherfilus-McCormick orchestrated a scheme involving roughly $5 million in misdirected COVID-era disaster relief funds, which were routed through entities connected to her family and ultimately used, in part, to finance her congressional campaign.
Additional allegations outlined in earlier coverage by Florida Daily include claims that her campaign accepted more than $150,000 in illegal, unreported in-kind contributions through a nonprofit organization, along with broader accusations of fraud and embezzlement tied to campaign activity.
The ethics investigation itself dated back to at least 2023, when the House Ethics Committee launched a probe into potential campaign finance violations, disclosure failures, and improper use of outside personnel in official duties. The case escalated significantly in early 2026 after the bipartisan panel concluded there was sufficient evidence to support multiple violations and began weighing potential sanctions, including expulsion.
Facing both a likely expulsion vote and ongoing federal charges, Cherfilus-McCormick chose to resign before the House could take formal action. Her departure ends the Ethics Committee’s jurisdiction over her case but leaves her facing a pending criminal trial, where she has pleaded not guilty.
The Republican National Committee released the following statement on the resignation of Cherfilus-McCormick:
“Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is an unashamed con artist who stole millions from Florida taxpayers and flaunted it,” RNC Spokeswoman Emma Hall said. “Resigning in disgrace is the bare minimum after defrauding the American people, and every Democrat who ran out the clock to cover for her corruption should be ashamed. Congress is better off with her gone.”
