WASHINGTON — Florida Democratic Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has been found guilty of violating House ethics rules and standards on 25 separate counts, according to a Friday decision by the House Ethics Committee that may strengthen Republican efforts to remove her from office.
Following an extended session that lasted until the early hours of Friday morning after a seven-hour public hearing, the bipartisan committee consisting of four Democrats and four Republicans reached their verdict regarding Cherfilus-McCormick’s conduct. The panel announced they will issue their recommended sanctions within the coming weeks.
The charges focus on Cherfilus-McCormick’s acceptance of several million dollars from her family’s healthcare company following Florida’s mistaken overpayment of approximately $5 million in disaster relief funding. Investigators allege she channeled these funds into her 2022 congressional race through a complex web involving multiple businesses and family members.
The representative, who is seeking a fourth term for her southeastern Florida constituency, maintains her innocence. Her legal counsel strongly condemned Thursday’s public proceedings — marking the first open ethics hearing in almost 15 years. However, this Ethics Committee decision may provide ammunition for an expulsion vote and create division within the Democratic party as they work toward regaining control in the November midterm elections.
Additionally, Cherfilus-McCormick faces federal criminal charges for allegedly misappropriating the $5 million in COVID-19 disaster relief money for personal expenses, including a 3-carat yellow diamond ring. Her brother, former chief of staff, and accountant also face charges. She has entered a not guilty plea to these federal charges, with her lawyer indicating Thursday that the trial should begin in the upcoming months.
During Thursday’s ethics proceedings, the congresswoman chose not to provide testimony, invoking her Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination. Her lawyer, William Barzee, engaged in heated exchanges with ethics panel members and contended they should have permitted a complete ethics trial where he could have presented witnesses and evidence to challenge the House investigators’ findings.
Barzee criticized the panel for adding fuel to efforts to “throw a woman out of Congress who was duly elected by her constituents” using primarily banking records as evidence.
House investigators outlined 27 violations of ethics standards and regulations in their comprehensive 242-page report. The document alleged that Cherfilus-McCormick secured victory in a 2022 special election by presenting her campaign as personally funded when it actually relied on the $5 million overpayment her family’s business had received from Florida for coronavirus vaccination services.
While Barzee maintained that “she was entitled to that money,” referencing documentation showing how her family planned to distribute profits from their healthcare enterprise, ethics panel lawmakers expressed doubt about this defense.
