Florida Dem found GUILTY by House Ethics of laundering $5 million in FEMA funds for campaign

Dem House Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL) has been found guilty of 25 ethics charges by a House Ethics subcommittee panel for allegedly funneling millions of dollars in disaster relief funds towards her congressional campaign. The lawmaker, who represents Florida’s 20th Congressional District, is also facing a federal investigation on the matter.

Thursday’s ethics hearing was the first public hearing since 2010. Cherfilus-McCormick’s attorney, William Barzee, attempted to delay the proceeding, arguing that the decision in the House case could influence the lawmaker’s criminal case, which is set to go to trial in April. He also argued that he should be able to call his own witnesses and cross-examine witnesses from the committee, per NBC News.

Barzee said, "I need to be able to see witnesses; she has a right to confront those witnesses. I have to be able to cross-examine people. We do not accept the facts as they are alleged by staff." The lawyer for the Ethics Committee pushed back against Barzee, saying that the DOJ had not requested that they stop its proceedings, and that the lawmaker had significant time to cooperate with the committee but did not.

In a statement, the House Ethics Committee said, "On March 26, 2026, the adjudicatory subcommittee in the matter of Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick held a public hearing to determine whether any counts in the Statement of Alleged Violations (SAV) had been proven by clear and convincing evidence. Following the hearing, the adjudicatory subcommittee moved into executive session to deliberate. After careful deliberation that lasted until well past midnight, the adjudicatory subcommittee found that Counts 1-15 and 17-26 of the SAV had been proven."

The full House Ethics Committee will hold a hearing after the House returns from April recess to recommend potential sanctions against the lawmaker.

Two counts laid out in the statement of allegations against Cherfilus-McCormick were not supported by the committee. Count 16 alleged money laundering through a Florida-based corporation Petrogaz-Haiti SA, LLC, which the document claimed "funneled impermissible corporate contributions to Respondent’s campaign." Count 27 alleged a "lack of candor and diligence in ethics investigations," saying that the lawmaker "did not treat the allegations of misconduct raised by OCC’s Referrals with sufficient seriousness," and that her delays and failures to respond "were inconsistent with the level of diligence Members owe to the Committee."

Following the panel’s decision, Cherfilus-McCormick could face an ouster from Congress. GOP Rep. Greg Steube, prior to the House trial, has threatened to force a vote to expel her. Cherfilus-McCormick’s fellow Democrats have also called for her to be removed following Friday’s decision.

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez wrote, "You can’t crime your way into legitimate power. Since she was found guilty, she should resign or be removed."

Cherfilus-McCormick is also facing a federal case on the matter and could face up to 50 years in prison if convicted. The Department of Justice has accused her of laundering $5 million in FEMA funds that had been overpaid to her family’s health care company, Trinity Healthcare Services, and then laundering those funds to use in her campaign. The House Ethics committee began investigating the congresswoman in 2023.