Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Resigns from US House Ahead of Ethics Committee Sanctions

Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida resigned from the US House of Representatives on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, moments before the House Ethics Committee was set to determine sanctions against her. The resignation was read into the House record shortly after the committee convened, prompting Chairman Michael Guest to state that the panel had lost jurisdiction and would not proceed with sanctions.

Cherfilus-McCormick posted a statement on social media denouncing the ethics process as a witch hunt and stating, 'I simply cannot stand by and allow my due process rights to be trampled on, and my good name to be tarnished. ' In another part of her statement, she added, 'This was not a fair process.

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.

' She also informed House Speaker Mike Johnson of her decision, stating, '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. ' The House Ethics Committee had found Cherfilus-McCormick guilty of 25 ethics violations last month, including failures to comply with Federal Election Commission regulations and the Code of Ethics for Government Service.

The committee's adjudicatory subcommittee held a public hearing on March 27, 2026, determining that 25 of 27 allegations were proven, related to stealing federal disaster funds for her 2021 campaign.

Cherfilus-McCormick appeared before the committee for a public hearing on April 20, 2026, to address the allegations. The committee's investigation, which began in 2023 after a referral from the Office of Congressional Ethics, involved sending 30 requests for information, issuing 59 subpoenas, conducting 28 witness interviews, and reviewing over 33,000 pages of documents.