A House Ethics Committee panel found Democratic Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick from Florida committed 25 ethics violations related to fraud on Friday. This ruling adds to the political and legal issues surrounding her as she already faces federal criminal charges related to an alleged $5 million COVID-19 relief scheme.
The bipartisan panel concluded that Cherfilus-McCormick broke House rules and campaign finance law. Investigators determined she gained millions of dollars tied to a roughly $5 million overpayment made to her family’s health care company during the pandemic.
The panel indicated that part of this money supported her 2022 congressional campaign through a network of businesses and relatives, even though campaign filings claimed the effort was self-funded.
More than two-dozen alleged House violations by Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick have been proven, the House Ethics Committee said this morning, boosting the odds of serious punishment and possibly even expulsion against the Florida Democrat. https://t.co/hVgc67LTr3
— Bloomberg Government (@BGOV) March 27, 2026
This ruling is not a criminal conviction. Cherfilus-McCormick has pleaded not guilty in federal court to 15 criminal counts related to the same allegations, and that case is still pending. Prosecutors claim she stole federal disaster funds and used some of the money for campaign support and personal expenses, including a 3-carat yellow diamond ring.
At Thursday’s public ethics hearing, Cherfilus-McCormick chose not to testify and invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Her attorney, William Barzee, argued that the committee should not continue without a more thorough trial process that would allow for witness testimony and defense evidence.
Barzee claimed the case was advancing based solely on bank records without sufficient chance to challenge the evidence and accused lawmakers of trying to “throw a woman out of Congress who was duly elected by her constituents.”
Committee investigators initially proposed 27 ethics violations in a 242-page report. The panel found Cherfilus-McCormick responsible for all but two of those claims. Lawmakers did not uphold one allegation regarding support from an organization linked to an adviser and her husband, and another claiming she refused to cooperate with the inquiry.
The full House Ethics Committee is expected to meet after Congress returns from a two-week break in April to recommend a punishment.
Attorney for Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) at House Ethics Committee hearing: “Going forward with an adjudicatory hearing when a member has a pending criminal case is a very risky endeavor…The risk is to a violation of her constitutional rights to a fair trial.” pic.twitter.com/xDliuYGC5I
— CSPAN (@cspan) March 26, 2026
This decision could spur a new effort to remove her from office. Rep. Greg Steube, a Republican from Florida, stated he plans to seek her expulsion once the committee provides its recommendation. Expelling a member requires a two-thirds vote from the full House. Democratic leaders have not publicly criticized Cherfilus-McCormick and have indicated they prefer to let the ethics process proceed.
Cherfilus-McCormick, who was first elected in a 2022 special election to represent Florida’s 20th Congressional District after the passing of Rep. Alcee Hastings, has consistently denied any wrongdoing during the investigations.
When federal charges were announced, Attorney General Pam Bondi said, “Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” adding, “No one is above the law, least of all powerful people who rob taxpayers for personal gain.”
Her criminal case is expected to advance in the coming months while the House considers whether the ethics findings warrant censure, another form of punishment, or a vote on expulsion.
