A cascade of House Democrats is calling for Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick to step down or be forcibly removed after the chamber's Ethics Committee found her guilty of dozens of misconduct charges, including allegations she laundered $5 million in disaster relief funds and diverted them into her campaign.
More than half a dozen lawmakers have gone public with resignation demands following Thursday's hearing, where the Ethics Committee determined that 25 of 27 charges against the Florida Democrat were supported by clear and convincing evidence. Several have signaled openness to voting for her expulsion when the full House takes up the matter in mid-April.
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington said Cherfilus-McCormick "should resign or be removed," later telling Axios she would vote to expel. Rep. Scott Peters of California said her resignation would "be easier for everyone" and indicated he would support expulsion. Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington and Rep. Jimmy Gomez of California also called for her departure.
"I mean, what's the difference between that and George Santos?" Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas asked, drawing a comparison to the New York Republican who was expelled last year.
Cherfilus-McCormick, who faces federal indictment, issued a statement Friday asserting her innocence. "I look forward to proving my innocence," she said. "Until then, my focus remains where it belongs: showing up for the great people of Florida's 20th District who sent me to Washington to fight for them."
Even Democrats who declined to call directly for her ouster acknowledged the severity of the situation. House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar told Axios the picture "doesn't look good." Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois said the allegations look "problematic." Rep. Mike Levin of California described them as "incredibly serious."
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries sidestepped the question entirely, saying he would wait for the Ethics Committee to complete its process before commenting further. The panel is expected to recommend punitive action, which could range from fines or censure to outright expulsion.
Some Democrats drew parallels to other misconduct cases. Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont said Cherfilus-McCormick should resign but also called on Republicans to push Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas to leave office over his admitted affair with a staffer.
One notable exception came from Rep. Mark Veasey of Texas, who argued that Cherfilus-McCormick's criminal trial should ultimately determine her political future rather than the Ethics Committee's action.
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