Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick refused to resigned after panel finds $5M FEMA theft and 25 violations.
According to Associated Press, Democratic Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida is facing a critical moment in her political career on Tuesday, April 21, as members of the House Ethics Committee weigh on her punishment.
Republicans are already calling for the expulsion of Cherfilus-McCormick, who is in her third term and is running for reelection in a southeastern Florida district.
She is also facing federal criminal charges accusing her of stealing $5 million in coronavirus disaster relief funds and using the money to buy items such as a 3-carat yellow diamond ring.
Cherfilus-McCormick has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges and says she is not guilty of ethics violations, either.
She recently told Fox News, “For those asking whether I plan to resign, the answer is no. This is not the time to abandon the district, not when they too are fighting for their future."
The allegations against the congresswoman center on how she received millions of dollars from her family’s health care business after Florida mistakenly overpaid the business by roughly $5 million with COVID-19 disaster relief funds.
Cherfilus-McCormick is accused of using that money to fund her 2022 congressional campaign through a network of businesses and family members.
