A bipartisan committee within the House has moved to initiate a process that may lead to the expulsion of a Democratic representative accused of misusing millions in disaster relief funds tied to her campaign.
The House Ethics Investigations Subcommittee voted in favor of a summary judgment, essentially declaring Florida Representative Sheila Cherfilus McCormick guilty of most of the misconduct allegations presented earlier this year.
This determination came after a lengthy public ethics hearing on Thursday, the first of its kind since 2010. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle spent over six hours critiquing McCormick’s legal team. The eight-member subcommittee, led by Representative Michael Guest (R-Mississippi), released its decision in a written statement on Friday morning.
“After extensive deliberations that stretched into the early hours, the Adjudication Subcommittee concluded that allegations 1-15 and 17-26 have been substantiated,” said committee leaders.
The allegations against McCormick include utilizing ineligible funds for her campaign, falsely reporting financial details, and requesting “special favors” from recipients of Emmermark funding requests. She’s also contending with separate federal criminal charges.
The committee is expected to reconvene after the Easter break to decide on its recommendations, which might lead to severe repercussions like expulsion. Representative Greg Steube, R-Florida, has committed to pursuing a resolution for her expulsion, regardless of the committee’s outcome.
For an expulsion to happen, two-thirds of the House must consent, which means some Democratic votes would be needed. While House Democratic leaders have generally backed McCormick, some members are expressing unease over the serious allegations against her.
“The charges we are looking at are very grave,” noted Representative Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., at the hearing’s outset. “They not only concern individual members but also the public’s trust in the integrity of the House as an institution.”
McCormick, who began her congressional career in 2021, is accused of misappropriating over $5 million in disaster relief funds, improperly allocated to her family’s health care firm. It’s alleged that she and her brother used these funds for political campaigns and personal indulgences, such as purchasing an extravagant diamond ring that she sported in her official portrait.
She has entered a not guilty plea to the federal charges lodged against her in 2025, and if found guilty, McCormick, now 47, could face a sentence of up to 53 years in prison.
The Ethics Committee’s inquiry into McCormick began over two years before the federal charges were filed. During this period, she switched legal representation four times and mostly refrained from cooperating with the bipartisan investigation.
At the recent hearing, McCormick’s new lawyer sought to postpone the proceedings until June, but the commission swiftly denied the request in a closed session. Her attorney, William Barzee, repeatedly asserted that McCormick’s rights were being violated while maintaining her innocence.
This prompted an intense exchange between Barzee and Representative Guest, who expressed frustration at the prolonged delays. “We’ve been trying to get necessary documents for your client for two years, and to suggest otherwise feels unjust,” Guest stated, conveying the committee’s commitment to safeguarding its members’ integrity.
There seemed to be a consensus among committee members, regardless of party affiliation, that Barzee’s arguments did not hold water. They contested the notion that McCormick’s family was entitled to the millions received due to FEMA overpayments.
At one point, during the hearing, Barzee presented an undated document, claiming it demonstrated a “profit-sharing agreement” that purportedly justified her claim to the money. This assertion did not sit well with the bipartisan panel.
Representative Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas) remarked, “My background in commercial law didn’t prepare me for seeing a profit-sharing agreement that wasn’t formally signed.”
Barzee later shifted his narrative to highlight McCormick’s Haitian heritage, suggesting that informal agreements were common in her culture, implying that formal written contracts might not be necessary for such arrangements.
McCormick’s federal trial is set for this summer.
