Florida Democrat resigns from Congress minutes before House ethics panel was set to weigh her expulsion

CNN

By Annie Grayer, Sarah Ferris, CNN

(CNN) — Embattled Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned from the US House of Representatives Tuesday, staving off a high-stakes vote on whether she should be forced out of Congress.

The Florida Democrat’s decision to step down came just moments before the chamber’s bipartisan Ethics Committee was set to consider punishment against the congresswoman. The panel previously found her guilty of a slew of ethics violations, including accusations that she stole millions in pandemic relief funds and used it to bolster her 2021 campaign.

If Cherfilus-McCormick had not resigned, she would have almost certainly faced an expulsion vote later this week on the House floor. The ethics panel, which oversees members’ conduct, had six types of sanctions at its disposal Tuesday, including expulsion from the House – a punishment recommended just four times before, according to the committee.

In a statement posted to social media, the Florida Democrat maintained her innocence and denounced what she described as a “witch hunt” against her.

“I simply cannot stand by and allow my due process rights to be trampled on, and my good name to be tarnished. Rather than play these political games, I choose to step away,” she wrote.

Within moments of the ethics panel gaveling in to formally determine its recommended punishment, the House clerk read Cherfilus-McCormick’s resignation into the record.

“After careful reflection and prayer, I’ve concluded that it is in the best interest of my constituents and the institution that I step aside at this time,” she wrote.

House Ethics Chairman Michael Guest noted that given the congresswoman had stepped down, the committee had lost its jurisdiction and would no longer consider sanctions against her.

Guest and Rep. Mark DeSaulnier of California, the top Democrat on the committee, defended their years-long investigation into Cherfilus-McCormick but conceded the process took longer than many would have liked. “It is a very deliberate process,” Guest said.

Over the course of its investigation, the panel said it sent 30 requests for information, issued 59 subpoenas, conducted 28 witness interviews and reviewed over 33,000 pages of documents.

The lawmakers indicated they were open to changing House rules so that a member cannot resign as a way to end an ethics investigation, but they emphasized any reforms would be up to each party’s leadership.

Neither would say what punishment they would have recommended had Cherfilus-McCormick not resigned.

Last month, the committee found the congresswoman guilty on multiple counts of failing to comply with Federal Election Commission regulations and uphold the Code of Ethics for Government Service. It delivered the guilty verdict a day after Cherfilus-McCormick appeared for a rare public hearing to face the allegations she stole $5 million in federal disaster funds and used it to bolster her campaign for the House.

Cherfilus-McCormick still faces separate federal criminal charges.

In November 2025, the Democrat was indicted on charges of stealing federal disaster funds. She has pleaded not guilty to those charges.

Cherfilus-McCormick’s attorney decried the congressional investigation, arguing that the panel had put his client in an unfair position.

“I think it’s, it’s very sad. She was put in an absolutely terrible position by the Ethics Committee. This was not a fair process. She has a pending criminal case down in the Southern District of Florida. She wasn’t able to defend herself,” attorney William Barzee said.

“I wasn’t given any time in order to prepare a defense, and she was left with no choice. She could go along and allow them to just trample her constitutional rights and her due process rights. And instead of allowing that to happen, she decided to step away, and I support that decision 100%,” he continued.

Cherfilus-McCormick’s departure marks the third resignation from the House in the last seven days.

Then-Reps. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, and Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, resigned last week amid a torrent of explosive allegations against them and the threat of expulsion votes.

Those departures in particular have left lawmakers grappling with how to better police their own and prompted a bipartisan willingness to expel members from Congress – a rare occurrence.

GOP Rep. Greg Steube of Florida previously told CNN he planned to introduce an expulsion resolution against Cherfilus-McCormick shortly after the panel concluded its work.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries had not said whether he would have voted to expel his own member. But multiple Democrats told CNN in recent days that they expected Jeffries and party leadership to vote in favor of expelling Cherfilus-McCormick, as the party campaigns to take back the House in November on an anti-corruption message.

Even with the Democrat’s departure, however, House Speaker Mike Johnson faces an extremely tight margin. He can only afford two GOP defections on party-line votes and still pass legislation.

The ethics panel is still conducting an investigation into GOP Rep. Cory Mills for allegations that include sexual misconduct and campaign finance infractions.

Mills, who has denied wrongdoing, said he does not have any plans to resign.

This story has been updated with additional details.

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CNN’s Ellis Kim contributed to this report.