Lawmakers move to oust Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick for alleged ethics violations

By Ashlee Banks
Special to the AFRO

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.-4) signaled on April 14 that the House of Representatives is moving toward a formal vote to expel Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.-20), who is currently facing a federal indictment and a series of proven ethics violations.

U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.-5) told the AFRO that as a licensed attorney, he believes that Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick “shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty.”

“Let the justice system do its job,” said the congressman.

The case against Cherfilus-McCormick reached a critical juncture last month when a House Ethics subcommittee announced that it had successfully proven 25 out of 27 counts of ethics violations against her. These violations are tied to a broader federal investigation into the alleged misappropriation of $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster funds.

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.-14) told the AFRO that Congress must adhere to the results of the subcommittee.

“Her case is an example of going through the process. She had her day before the Ethics Committee,” said Ocasio-Cortez. “They went through a process and after a thorough investigation, they found her guilty and I think it’s our job to uphold the rules of this institution following the [outcome] of that process.”

Prosecutors allege that the funds, which were intended for community vaccination outreach during the Covid-19 pandemic, were instead diverted to Cherfilus-McCormick’s personal use and her 2022 congressional campaign. At the time of the alleged crimes, she served as the chief executive of Trinity Health Care Services, a family-run company.

Speaker Johnson, who has frequently described himself as a guardian of due process within the chamber, indicated that the findings of the Ethics Committee have reached a threshold that warrants the ultimate disciplinary action. Addressing reporters on April 14, the Speaker noted that the committee had concluded its standard investigative procedures and uncovered what he described as alarming and indisputable facts. While the House typically waits for the full completion of Ethics Committee hearings before moving to expel a member, the Speaker suggested that a consensus is forming among lawmakers that Cherfilus-McCormick’s conduct meets the constitutional requirements for removal from office.

Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and contends that the financial issues involving the FEMA funds were the result of a clerical error rather than a deliberate attempt to defraud the government.

On Nov. 20, 2025, the Florida Democrat released a statement, calling the allegations “unjust” and “baseless.”

“The timing alone is curious and clearly meant to distract from far more pressing national issues,” she wrote. “From day one, I have fully cooperated with every lawful request, and I will continue to do so until this matter is resolved.”

The legislative pressure from the House of Representatives is mounting concurrently with a shift in the congresswoman’s legal timeline. On April 14, Judge Darrin Gayles, of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, granted a significant delay in Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick’s criminal trial, rescheduling the proceedings for February 2027. This postponement, requested by both the prosecution and the defense, pushes the trial well beyond the 2026 midterm elections.

Attorneys in the case cited a massive volume of discovery materials, including over 1.2 million records of bank documents, reports and recordings, as the primary reason for the delay. The defense argued that the interests of justice outweighed the public’s interest in a speedy trial, given the complexity of the data spanning several years.

In the meantime, Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.-17) has already filed a resolution to expel the congresswoman and has expressed his intention to bring the matter to the floor as soon as the committee’s findings are officially released. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.13) has also publicly called for her resignation, suggesting that an expulsion vote is inevitable if Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick remains in office.

Expulsion is the most severe form of punishment available to the House and requires a two-thirds majority vote for passage. Since the founding of the United States, it has been a rare occurrence, usually reserved for members who committed treason or serious criminal acts.

At this time, the House Ethics Committee has scheduled a hearing for April 21 to determine the appropriate sanctions for Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick. These sanctions could range from a formal censure to a recommendation for expulsion.

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