Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick resigns minutes before expulsion hearing

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) submitted her resignation letter on April 21, 2026, moments before the House Ethics CommitteeHouse Ethics CommitteeThe bipartisan House committee responsible for investigating and recommending punishments for ethics violations by members of Congress.Key ConceptHouse Ethics CommitteeThe bipartisan House committee responsible for investigating and recommending punishments for ethics violations by members of Congress.Open conceptBookmark was scheduled to open a public sanction hearing. Committee Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS) read the resignation letter aloud after the panel gaveled in, then announced the committee had lost jurisdiction. Under Ethics Committee rules, the panel's authority over a member ends the instant they leave Congress.

Cherfilus-McCormick became the third House member to resign in April 2026, following Republican Tony Gonzales (TX) and Democrat Eric Swalwell (CA). Her departure reduced the House to 432 members and further narrowed the majority margin.

The House Ethics Committee had found Cherfilus-McCormick guilty of 25 of 27 alleged ethics violations in a March 26, 2026 bipartisan subcommittee report. The charges centered on allegations she stole approximately $5 million in FEMA COVID-19 pandemic relief funds and used the money to fund her successful 2021 congressional campaign. Additional charges included funneling money through straw donors and using campaign funds to purchase a 3.14-carat diamond ring.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) had publicly called for her expulsion. Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) had announced he would file a privileged resolution to force an expulsion floor vote once the hearing concluded. Expulsion requires a two-thirds vote and is one of the rarest acts in congressional history, having occurred only five times since 1789.

Florida's 20th District is a majority-Black district in Broward County that has voted Democratic by 40 or more percentage points in recent elections. Democrats are heavily favored to win the special electionSpecial ElectionAn election held outside the regular November schedule to fill a vacant seat.Key ConceptSpecial ElectionAn election held outside the regular November schedule to fill a vacant seat.Open conceptBookmark. However, Gov. Ron DeSantis controls the scheduling of Florida special elections, and Florida law imposes no mandatory deadline for when he must call one.

DeSantis used this discretion strategically in 2023 when a Florida state legislative seat became vacant, delaying the special electionSpecial ElectionAn election held outside the regular November schedule to fill a vacant seat.Key ConceptSpecial ElectionAn election held outside the regular November schedule to fill a vacant seat.Open conceptBookmark for months. Democrats and voting rights advocates have raised concerns that DeSantis could delay the FL-20 election for months, denying the district's roughly 770,000 residents House representation.

The resignation without punishment drew comparisons to the 2023 expulsion of Rep. George Santos (R-NY), who was removed by a 311-114 vote over campaign finance fraud. Santos was expelled rather than given the option to resign. Some Democrats who voted to expel Santos expressed regret after Cherfilus-McCormick's case, noting the expulsion precedent they helped set could be used against future members of either party.

Cherfilus-McCormick still faces potential criminal liability. A federal grand jury separately indicted her on criminal charges related to the FEMA funds before the Ethics Committee completed its work. Her congressional resignation has no effect on the criminal case.