Florida Democrat Faces Expulsion for Alleged $5 Million Disaster Relief Fraud

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick accused of stealing funds to finance her campaign and purchase luxury items

Mar. 28, 2026 at 1:20am

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A Florida Democratic congresswoman is facing an ethics probe and possible expulsion from the House of Representatives for allegedly stealing over $5 million in disaster relief funds to finance her 2021 campaign and purchase luxury items. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is accused of participating in a straw donor scheme and filing a false federal tax return.

Why it matters

The case highlights concerns about fraud and misuse of taxpayer funds, especially during times of crisis when disaster relief resources are critical. It also raises questions about whether Democrats will hold their own members accountable for alleged criminal behavior to the same degree as Republicans.

The details

Cherfilus-McCormick is accused of brazenly using disaster relief funds to finance her House campaign and purchase a $109,000 Tiffany diamond ring. She is set to testify before the House Ethics Committee in a rare public hearing that could lead to her expulsion from Congress. The congresswoman has repeatedly tried to delay the hearing, citing the ongoing criminal case, and recently lost her legal representation.

  • Cherfilus-McCormick was elected to the House of Representatives in 2021.
  • The House Ethics Committee is holding a public hearing on the allegations on Thursday, March 28, 2026.

The players

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick

A Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida who is facing allegations of stealing over $5 million in disaster relief funds.

Rep. Greg Steube

A Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida who has said he will move forward with a resolution to expel Cherfilus-McCormick.

Rep. Stephen Lynch

A Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts who has said that Democrats must hold their members accountable to the same standards as Republicans.

Rep. Brad Knott

A Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina who pushed back on the argument that the House Ethics Committee investigation violates Cherfilus-McCormick's constitutional rights.

Rep. Mike Johnson

The Republican Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives who said the allegations against Cherfilus-McCormick are a "very serious matter" and that expulsion is an option if the charges are true.

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What they’re saying

“If they give us conclusions that this actually happened, and there's no question of doubt as to the fact that laws were broken, then our colleague will have to face the consequences of that–it's plain and simple.”

— Rep. Stephen Lynch, Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives

“You lose your credibility if you're applying a different set of laws and a different standard to people of the other party. I mean, how could we ever justify anything we do if we only apply that to Republicans, and we don't follow the law?”

— Rep. Stephen Lynch, Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives

“We're not in a court of law here. We're not dealing with a criminal matter. We are a body that's unique unto itself. We're dealing with rules. We're not dealing with any type of criminal adjudication; I want to just push back on that a little bit that we are not violating her constitutional rights.”

— Rep. Brad Knott, Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives

“Expulsion, obviously, is effectively the death penalty. There are occasions that meet that standard, but it's a decision of the body to determine that. So, you look at all the factors, and you figure that out; we'll be doing that here.”

— Rep. Mike Johnson, Republican Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

What’s next

The House Ethics Committee will hold a public hearing on Thursday, March 28, 2026 to determine if Cherfilus-McCormick should be expelled from Congress. If the committee recommends expulsion, it would then require a two-thirds vote of the full House to remove her from office.

The takeaway

This case highlights the challenges of holding members of Congress accountable, especially when the alleged wrongdoing involves members of the same political party. It remains to be seen if Democrats will apply the same standards of accountability to Cherfilus-McCormick as they did to former Republican Rep. George Santos, raising questions about the integrity of the legislative process.