Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigns just before House Ethics considers expulsion

BREAKING NEWSUpdated 9 minutes agoCongressCongressDemocratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigns minutes before Ethics hearingThe Ethics Committee was considering recommending that the House expel Cherfilus-McCormick, of Florida, over allegations that she stole federal funds.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., appears for a House Ethics Committee hearing on March 26.Andrew Harnik / Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 21, 2026, 2:14 PM EDT / Updated April 21, 2026, 2:38 PM EDTBy Scott Wong and Kyle StewartWASHINGTON — Embattled Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., resigned on Tuesday, moments before the House Ethics Committee was set to consider whether to recommend she be expelled from Congress.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Last month, the Ethics panel found her guilty of 25 ethics violations related to allegations she stole federal relief funds and used some of the money to fund her political campaign. Her criminal trial is expected to begin in February 2027, and she complained that it was a "dangerous path" for the Ethics panel to weigh her expulsion before her day in court.She has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty."I will not stand by and pretend that this has been anything other than a witch hunt. I simply cannot stand by and allow my due process rights to be trampled on, and my good name to be tarnished," Cherfilus-McCormick said of the Ethics process in a statement posted on X."Rather than play these political games, I choose to step away so that I can devote my time to fighting for my neighbors in Florida's 20th district. I hereby resign from the 119th Congress, effective immediately."Tuesday’s stunning development marked the third resignation in the past week. Two other House lawmakers — Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas — resigned ahead of potential votes to expel them from Congress ov...