Why Did Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick Resign From Congress? Inside the Ethics Violations

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who was in her third term and was seeking another term in office in a southeastern Florida district, is stepping away from Congress amid allegations that she misused campaign funds. She denies punitive measures by the House as part of the ethics investigations and says that she can not “play these political games.”​

The members of the House Ethics Committee on Tuesday were scheduled to discuss what punishment would be fit for Cherfilus-McCormick after they found that she committed 25 violations of House rules and ethical standards, including violating campaign finance laws by misappropriating campaign funds.

Republicans were already pushing for the removal of Cherfilus-McCormick. She is facing federal criminal charges for stealing $5 million in coronavirus disaster relief funds and using the money to splurge on personal items such as a 3-carat yellow diamond ring and fund her 2022 congressional campaign through businesses and family members.

Cherfilus-McCormick, however, has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges. Additionally, she claims that she never committed any ethics violations.

In a long post on the social media platform X, the Democratic Rep. announced her decision to resign. She claimed that her lawyers were denied enough time to prepare for her defense. Cherfilus-McCormick says that she wants to devote her time to her neighbors in the Florida district.

“This was not a fair process. The Ethics Committee refused my new attorney's reasonable request for time to prepare my defense. By going forward with this process while a criminal indictment is pending, the Committee prevented me from defending myself. I will not stand by and pretend that this has been anything other than a witch hunt. I simply cannot stand by and allow my due process rights to be trampled on, and my good name to be tarnished,” she wrote.

She added, “Rather than play these political games, I choose to step away so that I can devote my time to fighting for my neighbors in Florida's 20th district. I hereby resign from the 119th Congress, effective immediately.”

The Rep. concluded her statement with a warning, “... we should be very careful about the precedent we are setting. In this country, we do not punish people before due process is complete. We do not allow allegations alone to override the will of the people. That is a dangerous path, and one that should concern every American, regardless of party.”

Cherfilus-McCormick refused to testify during a previous Ethics Committee hearing, citing her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Her attorney, William Barzee, argued that lawmakers should have opted for a thorough ethics trial, so he could present witnesses and evidence to counter the conclusions of House investigators.​

Cherfilus-McCormick's supporters sent letters to the lawmakers who led the committee, urging them to proceed with caution. “Our communities deserve stability. Our voices deserve to be heard. And our right to representation must be protected,” said one of the letters signed by around a dozen local faith leaders, union officials, and others.​