Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigns from Congress : NPR
NPR • • nation
Key Points:
- Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., resigned from Congress ahead of a House Ethics Committee meeting that could have led to her expulsion over allegations of misusing $5 million in federal disaster funds linked to COVID-19 vaccine overpayments.
- Prosecutors accuse Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother of stealing these funds and using some to finance her first congressional campaign, allegations she denies and calls a "witch hunt."
- Her resignation follows a pattern of recent House departures, including Democrats Eric Swalwell and Republicans Tony Gonzales, amid various misconduct scandals.
- The resignation shifts the House balance to a narrow Republican majority with 218 Republican-aligned members and 213 Democrats, while Florida's Republican governor has discretion over the timing of a special election to fill her seat.
