Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick still running for reelection after resignation
Former Florida Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is seeking reelection despite having resigned from her seat ahead of a likely expulsion from Congress. She stepped down Tuesday ahead of a House Ethics Committee sanctions hearing over allegations that she siphoned $5 million from FEMA. Although her political career seemed finished, she filed for reelection on April 17, and an aide told NOTUS on Friday that she has no plans to withdraw. She is running as a Democrat.
In her resignation statement, Cherfilus-McCormick insisted on her innocence, calling the examination a “witch hunt” and saying she stepped aside so she could focus on helping her Florida 20th district neighbors. Her bid to return suggests she believes the charges will be resolved in her favor by the time she would again take office.
“This was not a fair process,” she said, noting that the Ethics Committee refused her new attorney’s reasonable request for more time to prepare a defense. By proceeding with the process while a criminal indictment is pending, she argued, the committee prevented her from defending herself.
HERE’S WHERE HOUSE AND SENATE RETIREMENTS STAND IN 2026 (linked article).
Cherfilus-McCormick had long been under investigation; the House Ethics Committee previously found her guilty of 25 ethics violations. The panel issued 58 subpoenas, interviewed 28 witnesses, and reviewed more then 33,000 documents as part of the probe.She announced her resignation just minutes before the Ethics Committee was set to release its decision on whether she should be expelled.
Former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) is running for reelection, despite having resigned from her seat ahead of her likely expulsion from Congress.
Cherfilus-McCormick resigned on Tuesday, ahead of a House Ethics Committee sanctions hearing over allegations she stole $5 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Though her political career looked to be over, the former congresswoman filed for reelection on April 17, and an aide confirmed to NOTUS on Friday that she had no plans to drop out.
She is running as a Democrat.
Cherfilus-McCormick maintained her innocence and struck a note of defiance in her Tuesday resignation statement, calling the investigation a “witch hunt” and saying that “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.”
Her campaign to run for reelection implies she believes the charges will be beaten by the time she would hypothetically take office again.
“This was not a fair process,” Cherfilus-McCormick said in her Tuesday resignation statement. “The Ethics Committee refused my new attorney’s reasonable request for time to prepare my defense. By going forward with this process while a criminal indictment is pending, the Committee prevented me from defending myself. I will not stand by and pretend that this has been anything other than a witch hunt.”
HERE’S WHERE HOUSE AND SENATE RETIREMENTS STAND IN 2026
Cherfilus-McCormick had long been under investigation, with the House Ethics Committee panel previously finding her guilty of 25 ethics violations. The committee had issued 58 subpoenas, interviewed 28 witnesses, and reviewed in excess of 33,000 documents as part of the investigation.
She announced her resignation just minutes before the House’s ethics panel was expected to release its decision about whether she should be expelled.
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