Democratic US Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has resigned with immediate effect after a House ethics committee found she violated congressional rules. The Florida lawmaker was indicted in November for allegedly channelling over $5m of federal disaster funds from her company into her 2021 election campaign.
Cherfilus-McCormick, 47, pleaded not guilty to the charges. In a statement, she criticised the committee for proceeding while a criminal case was pending, saying it had refused her new attorney’s request for time to prepare a defence. She described the process as a “witch-hunt” and said she was stepping down to focus on fighting for her constituents.
The ethics panel was due to vote on a recommendation for punishment, possibly expulsion, but Cherfilus-McCormick resigned before that vote could take place. She argued that it was a “dangerous path” to act before due process was complete. Only six House members have been expelled in US history, the most recent being George Santos in 2023.
Her resignation follows the departures of two other lawmakers last week: former Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell, who resigned amid allegations of sexual misconduct, and Republican Tony Gonzales, who left office after admitting to an affair with a former aide who later died by suicide. Both resigned before ethics investigations into them concluded.
