A Democratic House seat could be on the line after lawmakers on the House Ethics Committee held a rare public hearing on allegations that a Florida Democrat illegally funneled millions of dollars into her campaign.
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) appeared before the committee’s adjudicatory panel on Thursday during a six-hour hearing marked by repeated clashes between lawmakers and her attorney. The Justice Department charged Cherfilus-McCormick in November 2025 with allegedly stealing $5 million in FEMA funds that were mistakenly sent to her family’s health care company. She has denied all wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.
After the marathon hearing that stretched into the night, Ethics Committee Chair Michael Guest (R-MS) said lawmakers will move behind closed doors to decide whether Cherfilus-McCormick should be found guilty of ethics violations.
The decision will be made by eight lawmakers, including four Republicans and four Democrats. Guest said the committee will vote in private and announce its decision at a later time.
If the lawmakers vote to advance the case, it could move to the full House, where Cherfilus-McCormick could face censure or expulsion. Former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) was expelled from Congress after being indicted on federal criminal charges.
Before considering punishment, committee members must first decide whether to adopt a detailed report outlining the allegations. The report is the result of a two-year review of more than 30,000 documents and 28 witness interviews.
The report lays out 27 allegations against Cherfilus-McCormick, including claims that she illegally funneled money into her congressional campaigns, misled the public about the source of those funds, and committed multiple campaign finance reporting violations.
One allegation says that Cherfilus-McCormick and her consulting company received $6,682,776.96 from Trinity Health Care Services, a company owned by her family, and then funneled that money into her campaign.
“The timing and flow of funds transferred from Trinity to Respondent and SCM Consulting indicate the funds were transferred for the purpose of financing Respondent’s election campaign,” the committee report said. “Respondent’s ability to make loans to her campaign was based on money obtained from Trinity to which she was not entitled.”
Cherfilus-McCormick’s attorney, William Barzee, argued that she was entitled to the funds and said she had a profit-sharing agreement with Trinity. He also suggested business practices in the Haitian-American community may differ, with agreements sometimes made informally.
“The way that you and I would handle business is not the way everyone handles a business,” he said. “And in the community, in the Haitian-American community, it is not unusual for these types of agreements to be made orally, or to be made with a handshake, to be made with a family trust.”
Committee lawyers said they were never provided any evidence of a profit-sharing agreement despite repeated requests.
During the Thursday hearing, Barzee called for a “pause” on the proceedings while the congresswoman’s criminal case moves forward, arguing that any action by lawmakers could prejudice a jury and violate her constitutional right to a fair trial.
The subcommittee declined to delay the proceedings or grant Barzee additional time to respond to the allegations. Since the investigation began two years ago, Cherfilus-McCormick has had a revolving door of lawyers, and lawmakers noted that she has had ample time to respond to the allegations.
Guest pushed back on Barzee’s claim that the Florida Democrat had not been given an opportunity to defend herself, saying the committee had repeatedly sought documents and testimony.
“For you to allege that all this information is new… I find that offensive,” Guest said, adding that the committee has gone “above and beyond” to ensure fairness.
Ethics Committee lawyer Sydney Bellwoar echoed that criticism, saying Cherfilus-McCormick had “wasted valuable time” by “feigning cooperation” with investigators.
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