Damning Ethics Findings Fuel Expulsion Push for Rep Cherfilus-McCormick: ‘Substantial’ Evidence of Fraud

Democrat Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20) is facing renewed calls for her expulsion after the House Ethics Committee's investigative subcommittee released a damning report Thursday, finding "substantial reason to believe" that she violated multiple federal laws.

 Republican Rep. Greg Steube (FL-17) cited a resolution he filed in November regarding what he described as "serious financial crimes" and said he would seek to file again next week.

Cherfilus-McCormick was indicted by a grand jury in November for allegedly stealing $5 million in FEMA money during the COVID-19 pandemic, then using it to fund her campaign. She claimed the investigation was politically motivated, a means to distract from the Epstein files.

Additionally, she went and said the line, accusing the Department of Justice of targeting "black and brown people."

The House Ethics Committee, however, found "substantial" evidence she violated several laws, regulations, and standards of conduct as a member of Congress.

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“The ISC’s [Investigative Subcommittee] investigation has revealed substantial evidence of conduct consistent with the allegations in the indictment, as well as more extensive misconduct as laid out in the following Statement of Facts in Support of Alleged Violations related to violations of federal laws and regulations, as well as ethical standards,” the report reads.

The ever-defiant Cherfilus-McCormick predictably cried foul.

“Today’s action was taken without giving me a fair opportunity to rebut or defend myself due to the constraints of an ongoing legal process,” she said. “I reject these allegations and remain confident the full facts will make clear I did nothing wrong."

The investigative subcommittee of the House Ethics Committee report states that it conducted an exhaustive probe spanning the 118th and 119th Congresses, reviewing over 33,000 documents, interviewing 28 witnesses, and issuing 59 subpoenas.

The report also notes that while Cherfilus-McCormick initially seemed to cooperate, producing some documents to the subcommittee, she ultimately invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination after they issued a subpoena for additional documents and a separate subpoena for her testimony.

The congresswoman raised eyebrows in December when she had a ring edited out of her official portrait, a ring reportedly purchased for over $100,000 and allegedly paid for using funds stolen from relief funds.

A spokesperson for Steube tells Axios that the lawmaker intends to offer a privileged motion, which would allow any House member to force an expulsion vote against a colleague. Will other GOP members approve? That remains to be seen.