April 21 (UPI) — Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick will face a public hearing before the House Ethics Committee Tuesday to decide what punishment she’ll receive for 25 ethics violations.
The hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. EDT Tuesday.
Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., was found guilty by the ethics committee in late March of 25 of the original 27 charges relating to an alleged fraud charge. The Department of Justice indicted her for allegedly stealing $5 million in funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for use in her campaign.
She has pleaded not guilty to the 15 counts in the indictment and denies any wrongdoing. Her case has not yet gone to court. She has said of the criminal case, she looks “forward to proving my innocence.”
Cherfilus-McCormick was indicted in November on federal charges with her brother, Edwin Cherfilus.
Her family owns Trinity Healthcare Services. The company had a FEMA-funded contract to register people for COVID-19 vaccines, but in July 2021 was accidentally overpaid by $5 million by a Florida agency, the indictment said. Instead of returning the funds, Cherfilus-McCormick allegedly moved the money to different accounts “to disguise its source,” the Justice Department said. She then allegedly used some of the funds to finance her campaign.
The House committee’s investigation said it found “clear and convincing evidence” of her guilt.
“The 25 violations at issue here are very serious standing on their own,” the committee’s counsel said in a memorandum before Tuesday’s hearing, CBS News reported. “The scope and continuous nature of the conduct, as well as Respondent’s failure to take responsibility for wrongdoing, may be considered as aggravating factors.”
Cherfilus-McCormick has argued that her lawyer in the criminal case has advised her not to discuss the case.
The committee could recommend censure, fines, a reprimand, committee removal, reduction in seniority, demand of an apology or expulsion from the House.
Expulsion would require a two-thirds vote, meaning 70 Democrats would have to support it.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Monday that his party members would “convene as a caucus” after the ethics committee makes a recommendation to discuss what measure to take.
“Then we will proceed in a manner consistent with our approach to these types of ethics matters, which is to always and at all times follow the facts and apply the relevant law without fear or favor,” CBS reported he said.
Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., has said he plans to force a floor vote to expel her after the committee is finished.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., said it would be “the consensus of this body that she should be expelled.”
“The facts are indisputable at this point,” he told reporters.
Two House members have resigned in recent weeks: Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas. They were both under scrutiny for alleged sexual misconduct.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., introduced a resolution Monday to expel Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., from Congress over alleged sexual misconduct.
Cherfilus-McCormick was elected to Congress in 2022 in a special election to replace Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings, who died in 2021 from pancreatic cancer.
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