Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigns from Congress, moments before Ethics hearing to determine sanctions

Key Points:

• Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida resigned from Congress just before the House Ethics Committee was set to decide on sanctions related to allegations of theft and misconduct involving nearly $5 million in FEMA funds.
• The Ethics Committee had found substantial evidence of misconduct, including inaccurate campaign finance reports and misuse of FEMA funds for luxury items, and had proven most of the allegations against her in a rare public hearing.
• Cherfilus-McCormick pleaded not guilty to the charges and her federal trial has been postponed until February 2027; she stated her resignation was to avoid political games and focus on her constituents.
• Her resignation ends the Ethics Committee's jurisdiction and will trigger a special election in Florida's 20th district; some Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, supported her decision to step down.
• Prior to her resignation, there was uncertainty about whether Democratic leadership would support her expulsion, which required a two-thirds House vote, but her departure preempted that process.