House Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigns amid ethics investigation
The Guardian • • general
Key Points:
- Democratic Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick announced her immediate resignation after a House ethics committee found she violated rules amid an ongoing federal indictment for funneling over $5 million in disaster funds into her 2021 campaign.
- Cherfilus-McCormick claimed the ethics process was unfair, citing denied requests for her attorney to prepare a defense and calling the investigation a "witch-hunt," despite pleading not guilty to the charges.
- Her resignation came just before the ethics panel was set to vote on recommending her expulsion, amid bipartisan pressure for such action, marking a rare occurrence as only six House members have ever been expelled.
- This departure follows recent resignations of two other lawmakers—Democrat Eric Swalwell and Republican Tony Gonzales—who stepped down amid separate allegations before their ethics investigations concluded.
