WASHINGTON, D.C. Apr. 21 – Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Florida Democrat under ethical and criminal scrutiny, resigned from Congress on Tuesday, according to NOTUS, stepping down just hours before the House Ethics Committee was set to announce sanctions against her.
The resignation changed the shape of a day that had been expected to center on punishment from the committee, which had scheduled a 2 p.m. EST hearing. CBS News and The Associated Press had reported earlier Tuesday that lawmakers were preparing to weigh penalties after a subcommittee found she committed 25 violations of House rules and ethical standards.
Cherfilus-McCormick had denied wrongdoing. AP reported that she faced possible sanctions tied to campaign finance violations and other ethics findings, while also confronting a separate federal criminal case. CBS reported that she pleaded not guilty to 15 counts in that case.
The ethics case had already become one of the most serious disciplinary matters now hanging over the House. AP reported that the committee’s two-year investigation involved 59 subpoenas, 28 interviews and a review of more than 33,000 documents. Potential outcomes ranged from a reprimand or censure to a recommendation that the full House expel her, a rare step that would have required a two-thirds vote.
The pressure around Cherfilus-McCormick had been building for days. Axios reported Tuesday that many House Democrats were prepared to support removing her from office if the matter reached a floor vote, and some lawmakers had openly speculated that she might resign before that happened.
It was not immediately clear Tuesday afternoon whether the Ethics Committee would still move forward with a public sanctions announcement after her resignation. NOTUS reported the departure citing her chief of staff.
