Democratic Congresswoman Resigns Following Ethics Violations
Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has resigned from Congress after an investigation revealed she committed over 20 ethics violations, including breaches of campaign finance laws.
Cherfilus-McCormick is accused of illegally channeling US disaster aid funds to her election campaign and using the money for luxury items, notably a $109,000 (£81,660) 3-carat yellow diamond ring.
The 46-year-old Democrat, elected to Congress in 2022, has consistently maintained her innocence and pledged to clear her name.
"Rather than play these political games, I choose to step away," she said in a social media post announcing her resignation and describing the congressional ethics investigation as a "witch hunt".
She faced the possibility of a rare expulsion vote in Congress after the House of Representatives' Ethics Committee released its findings.
In her statement, Cherfilus-McCormick asserted that the panel did not permit her lawyer sufficient time to prepare her defense and initiated the investigation while she was engaged in a criminal case, which she said "prevented me from defending myself".
The former congresswoman resigned just minutes before the House Ethics Committee convened to recommend punishment for the 25 violations of House rules and ethical standards the committee determined she committed.
When the committee met, they read her resignation letter and then adjourned, as they no longer have jurisdiction over her since she is no longer a member of Congress.
Federal Charges and Legal Proceedings
Cherfilus-McCormick also faces federal charges alleging she stole $5 million (£3.8 million) in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster funds.
According to prosecutors, she and another individual named in the federal charging documents allegedly diverted funds from a FEMA contract to friends and relatives, who then donated the money back to her campaign as purported personal contributions.
The trial related to these charges has been postponed until February 2027.
If convicted, she faces up to 53 years in prison.
Reactions from Political Leaders
Last week, US House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters he believed Cherfilus-McCormick's fate on Capitol Hill was sealed.
"The Ethics Committee has gone through all of its processes, and they found some alarming facts," he said. "I think the facts are indisputable at this point."
He added that the committee found "clear and convincing evidence" that Cherfilus-McCormick violated House rules.
Prior to her resignation, House Democratic leaders had refrained from publicly criticizing Cherfilus-McCormick, opting to wait for the ethics committee's recommendation.
On Tuesday, the top Democrat in the House, Hakeem Jeffries, stated:
"She did the right thing on behalf of her constituents."
Context and Precedents
Cherfilus-McCormick's departure follows the resignations of two other members of Congress who faced potential expulsion.
Representatives Eric Swalwell, a Democrat, and Tony Gonzales, a Republican, resigned this month before expulsion proceedings could advance. Both were accused of sexual misconduct.
The last time a member of the House of Representatives was expelled was New York Republican George Santos in 2023, marking the first expulsion in 20 years.
