An eight-member bipartisan subcommittee of the House Ethics Committee burned the midnight oil Thursday night as it deliberated the actions of Democrat Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), who had been accused of breaking campaign laws by accepting more than $5 million in federal disaster relief funds for a family business and funneling much of it into her 2022 congressional campaign.
The Ethics Committee announced Friday that, after a reported seven hours of deliberation, the adjudicatory subcommittee had found "clear and convincing" evidence that Cherfilus-McCormick was guilty of 25 of the 27 counts that had been brought against her. This could now set the stage for the congresswoman to face being expelled from Congress.
NEW — the House Ethics Committee in a new stmt says “after careful deliberation that lasted until well past midnight, the adjudicatory subcommittee found that Counts 1-15 and 17-26 of the SAV had been proven” in the matter of Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) March 27, 2026
It adds: “Shortly… pic.twitter.com/m2dT45Ybc9
In its announcement, the committee signaled its next steps: “Shortly after the House returns from the April recess, the full Committee will hold a hearing to determine what, if any, sanction would be appropriate for the Committee to recommend.”
The decision came after what is being called the "rare" public hearing – some have called it a "trial" – Thursday to examine the committee’s motion for summary judgment that outlined the violations against Cherfilus-McCormick. The congresswoman appeared before the panel alongside her attorney, William Barzee, who had tried to get the hearing postponed until after she appears in court on federal charges for many of the same allegations.
“She’s absolutely innocent. She’s looking forward to being in criminal court in order to prove her innocence, which I’m confident she’s going to be able to do,” Barzee told the subcommittee members, adding that any determination in the House “will result in a loss of her constitutional rights.”
Amongst the 27 counts the committee considered were conduct by Cherfilus-McCormick that “Does Not Reflect Creditably on the House”; conduct that “Violates the Letter and Spirit of House Rules”; “Failure to Uphold the Laws and Regulations of the United States”; and “Lack of Candor and Diligence in Ethics Investigations.”
The two counts she was not found guilty of were:
Not proven:
COUNT 17: False Statements (relating to false statements to FEC. false reports to FEC also covered in other counts)
COUNT 27: Lack of Candor and Diligence in Ethics Investigations
Editor’s Note: Help us continue to report the truth about corrupt politicians like Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.
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