'People have an issue': House Minority leaders divided on Cherfilus-McCormick's ethics hearing
A U.S. House of Representatives member, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, is set to appear publicly before the House Committee on Ethics on Thursday, and many leaders in the House Minority are sharing discordant ideas on what the future would look like for her. While Minority Leader of the U.S House of Representatives Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has signalled support for McCormick, few ranking members told Axios that she may face expulsion, given the seriousness of the charges against her. Since House Republicans hold a 217 to 214 majority, any expulsion or vacancy could impact key votes.
The Ethics Committee on Wednesday announced that Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida's 20th Congressional District is set to appear before the committee during a public hearing on ethics violation allegations. Earlier, the Department of Justice accused the Democratic leader of committing fraud in relation to a COVID-19 fund. As per the DOJ indictment, she allegedly kept $5 million in overpayments on a FEMA-funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract in July 2021, for a healthcare company that she and her family operated during the pandemic. While she faces a trial in that case, which could lead to a prison sentence of up to 53 years, Cherfilus-McCormick faces additional allegations of tax fraud and campaign finance violations. The Ethics Committee stated that it was aware of the allegations and a delay in hearing the matter would not serve in the interests of justice, 25WPBF reported.
Given the seriousness of the allegations, the representative who has denied any wrongdoing may face calls for resignation or even expulsion from her own party if the Ethics Committee rules against her. "People have an issue on all sides, and no one's comfortable," one senior House Democrat told Axios. The anonymous lawmaker told the publication that there will be a lot of pressure on the party to take action on the matter, "especially based on our recent positions on things." Rep. Becca Balint shared a similar sentiment in an interview, stating that the party has to be mindful of how voters perceive corruption. "I think there's pressure on all of us in elected office right now," she said in an interview. "Neither party is trusted by the public that we're going to fight corruption...I know from talking with my own constituents that this is a real issue for both parties, not just Republicans," she said, according to Politico.
Meanwhile, Jeffries has indicatively offered support to Cherfilus-McCormick as he told Punchbowl News this week, "Sheila has been charged by this Department of Justice. She is entitled to her day in court." House Democratic caucus Chair Pete Aguilar also questioned the DOJ for not asking the Ethics Committee to stand down in the matter, something that goes against past precedent. In his press conference on Wednesday, he stated that Cherfilus-McCormick has an opportunity to defend herself from both allegations, and after the conclusions of the hearings, "we will have conversations."
However, a second lawmaker told Axios that in such matters, a resignation or expulsion is almost warranted. They told the publication that when a lawmaker is "accused of abusing their office, and there is strong evidence that that is an accurate accusation, found through some kind of internal process, there should be an urgency to take the office away." With the ongoing developments, Cherfilus-McCormick has maintained her innocence and pleaded not guilty to the federal criminal charges against her. "I am innocent, and I am a fighter. I will continue to fight for the people I was elected to serve," she told the publication in a statement.
