A special House Ethics Committee found Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick guilty of 25 total ethics violations, after a three-year investigation into allegations that the Florida Democrat stole millions in federal relief funds.
Following a seven-hour televised trial, members deliberated through the night before voting, finding Cherfilus-McCormick guilty of almost all the charges against her — 25 of the 27. Cherfilus-McCormick, who is also facing federal criminal charges in connection with the allegations, is maintaining her innocence.
“I look forward to proving my innocence,” she said in a statement. “Until then, my focus remains where it belongs: showing up for the great people of Florida's 20th District who sent me to Washington to fight for them.”
In November, a federal grand jury indicted Cherfilus-McCormick, alleging she stole $5 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Cherfilus-McCormick’s family operates a health care company, Trinity Healthcare Services, and received FEMA funds for a Covid vaccination contract.
According to the DOJ, the $5 million payment was an overpayment, and the congresswoman and her brother never paid back the funds to the government. Rather, the pair funneled the funds through various accounts and used the money to back Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2022 special election campaign, which she ultimately won.
The House Ethics Committee, in its own investigation that began in 2023, “reviewed over 33,000 documents totaling hundreds of thousands of pages of materials and conducted 28 witness interviews” to determine if Cherfilus-McCormick broke House rules and regulations.
The bipartisan committee decided to make its proceedings public, per Cherfilus-McCormick’s decision to maintain her seat in the House, rather than just resign in wake of the allegations. Also, the Ethics Committee’s proceedings ultimately move faster than the DOJ’s own processes.
Cherfilus-McCormick’s lawyer, William Barzee, told the committee Thursday it should not move forward with a verdict because it will ultimately influence the criminal trial in April.
The DOJ, however, did not make any requests that the House table its own hearing, according to the Ethics Committee lawyer.
Cherfilus-McCormick and her siblings “funneled more than $500,000 originating from Trinity into various outside organizations that made expenditures on behalf of the campaign,” Sydney Bellwoar, the committee’s lawyer, said.
Further, Bellwoar said “the most egregious example” was when Cherfilus-McCormick received $2 million directly from Trinity Health into her campaign in July 2021, to forge the appearance of a robust campaign infrastructure.
Republicans and Democrats alike are denouncing the congresswoman and her actions.
“You can't crime your way into legitimate power," Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D., Wash.), said in a post on X. “Since she was found guilty, she should resign or be removed.”
Representative Greg Steube (R., Fla.) threatened to call for a vote to force his fellow Florida congresswoman out of office, before the trial even began.
Cherfilus-McCormick could face up to 50 years in prison if convicted in her criminal case.
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