Disgraced Dem Congresswoman who resigned over claims she stole $5m in taxpayer dollars is seeking reelection

By STEPHEN M. LEPORE, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 03:50, 25 April 2026 | Updated: 04:00, 25 April 2026 The Florida Democrat who resigned from Congress this week over accusations she stole $5 million in COVID relief funds appears to be seeking reelection. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, quit while awaiting possible expulsion after Congress determined she had used taxpayer cash to fuel her political rise. The lawmaker also faces criminal charges, with prosecutors accusing her of stealing federal disaster funds paid to her family's health care company, laundering the proceeds and using the money for her 2021 congressional campaign. The indictment from Cherfilus-McCormick's case also said she purchased a 3.14-carat 'Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond' ring from a New York jeweler for $109,000, per CBS12. She resigned just as the House Ethics Committee was preparing to recommend a punishment after it investigated 27 counts of 'violations' connected to the millions she is accused of funneling into her campaign and found 'substantial evidence' to support 'extensive misconduct.' But it appears Cherfilus-McCormick won't be out of the spotlight for too long, as she has filed to run again in the 2028 election on the Democrat line, NOTUS reported.   Her seat remains empty while Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has yet to say how it will be filled, with Florida's GOP-controlled legislature eyeing plans to redistrict it.  Should she continue to run in the August 18 primary, Cherfilus-McCormick would face at least five other candidates to gain the Democrat nomination.  The Florida Democrat who resigned from office this week over accusations of stealing millions from taxpayers in COVID relief funds appears to be continuing her reelection campaign Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, quit while awaiting possible expulsion after being accused of using millions that her family's health care company received during the pandemic to fuel her political campaign One anonymous political operative in the district, however, believes that despite the accusations, Cherfilus-McCormick is likely the favorite should she stay in the race. 'While we would have to check with the lawyers to see if Cherfilus-McCormick can run using Cell Block C as her residence, it isn't clear that there is anyone in that district who can beat her if she runs again,' they said.  Cherfilus-McCormick has great name recognition and a district that stretches across multiple media markets, making it difficult to push a new candidate through.  The Daily Mail has reached out to Cherfilus-McCormick for comment.  Aside from the House probe, she was separately indicted by a federal grand jury in Miami in November and is awaiting trial. The ex-congresswoman denies the charges against her and has pleaded not guilty. Cherfilus-McCormick's resignation came as her own colleagues were plotting to expel her from Congress over the messy fiscal affair - in an extremely rare move.   The former congresswoman, along with a handful of co-conspirators, is accused of steering money that came into a family health-care company she ran with her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, into her campaign coffers through 'straw donations.' Just last week, Cherfilus-McCormack filed to run again in the 2028 election on the Democrat line  Cherfilus-McCormick's departure follows a string of bombshell departures from the House of Representatives in recent weeks. Two other lawmakers, Tony Gonzales and Eric Swalwell, resigned from Congress last week amid their own pending ethics investigations. The men were facing scathing allegations of sexual misconduct.  Unlike her two colleagues, Cherfilus-McCormick has most likely lost her eligibility to receive a congressional pension by resigning ahead of a likely expulsion vote. Her service lasted from January 2022 to April 2026, less than the 5 years required to receive a congressional pension.   Representative Lauren Boebert and Senator Josh Hawley have separately announced plans to introduce legislation barring lawmakers who resign after sexual assault accusations from collecting their congressional pensions. In a text to the Washington Examiner, Boebert said she is 'working on bipartisan legislation to state that Members who are convicted of any felony or crimes for an offense committed while in office… are prohibited from receiving their pensions.' Neither Swalwell nor Gonzales have been charged with any crimes. Swalwell has denied the allegations against him and Gonzales admitted he 'made a mistake' in sleeping with a staffer who later took his own life.  Ex-Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick posed with a large diamond ring on her hand in her official congressional  portrait The ring Cherfilus-McCormick allegedly bought with stolen FEMA funds  Boebert added that those who violate House Rule 18 - which prohibits members from engaging in sexual relationships with staff under their supervision - would also forfeit their pension rights. In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Cherfilus-McCormick announced her immediate resignation on Tuesday. 'I hereby resign my office from the 119th Congress as Representative for Florida's 20th Congressional District, effective Tuesday April 21, 2026; 1.30pm,' she said. 'After careful reflection and prayer, I have concluded that it is in the best interest of my constituents and the institution that I step aside at this time.' In a separate statement issued Tuesday, Cherfilus-McCormick claimed that the Ethics Committee did not follow a 'fair process.'  The panel stated that Cherfilus-McCormick committed 25 ethics violations,  noting at the time that it would recommend a punishment in the coming weeks.  She resigned immediately before the committee was set to release its recommendations for punishment.  Chairman Michael Guest said: 'In light of Ms. McCormick's resignation earlier today, the Committee on Ethics has now lost jurisdiction on this matter,' adding that 'there will not be a sanctions hearing.' Cherfilus-McCormick's resignation letter, sent to Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday Cherfilus-McCormick faces up to 53 years in prison if convicted.   Between the rare public hearing, criminal allegations, and the control of Congress hanging in the balance, as the resignation of a Democrat has widened the narrow GOP majority. This ethics battle is noteworthy but not unprecedented. The last member to be expelled from the chamber was George Santos, who was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison for misleading donors and fraudulently spending campaign money. The 2023 vote against Santos was 311-114. The former congressman had his sentence commuted by Trump after serving around three months in prison. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. 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