WASHINGTON — Democrats and the media spent months breathlessly covering and demanding answers regarding the George Santos scandal and indictment, yet both are now curiously silent when it comes to the indictment of Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL).
Cherfilus-McCormick, who today faces an unprecedented trial in the House Ethics Committee, is under federal indictment for stealing $5 million in FEMA funds and using that money to help fund her 2021 congressional campaign.
Democrats Silent
Of the 206 Democrats who voted to oust Santos, 171 remain in Congress, including all of House Democrat Leadership and Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick who herself voted to expel Santos.
Media Ignores
The same mainstream media that wrote endless stories on Santos have refused the same for Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick.
- New York Times (who broke the Santos news): Last story – November 2025
- Wall Street Journal: Last story – November 2025
- CNN: Last story – November 2025
- NBC: Last story – November 2025
- MS Now: 0 coverage
Background
- Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) is under federal criminal indictment for allegedly stealing $5 million in FEMA funds and using that money to help fund her 2021 congressional campaign. Other charges include money laundering, tax fraud, and the use of straw donors.
- Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick — who allegedly also purchased a huge diamond ring with the stolen funds among other forms of personal enrichment — faces a significant 53 years in prison if convicted. Her criminal prosecution is ongoing.
- More immediately, on Thursday, March 26, the House Ethics Committee will convene an adjudicatory subcommittee public hearing for the first time since 2010 to investigate the allegations, gather public testimony, lay out the facts, and ultimately issue a recommendation for the House Ethics Committee and the full Congress to consider.
- On a bipartisan basis, the adjudicatory subcommittee voted unanimously to reject Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick’s request to hold this hearing in a closed-door setting and instead will move forward with a rare public hearing.
Key Points
- Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) is undergoing a thorough bipartisan investigation by the House Ethics Committee regarding her indictment by a federal grand jury for stealing $5 million from FEMA to fund her 2021 congressional campaign.
- These are serious charges that merit serious bipartisan consideration by the House Ethics Committee and the full House of Representatives, and that effort is currently underway.
- A candidate for Congress from Florida embezzling taxpayer funded disaster relief money reserved for the residents of Florida for her own personal gain is nothing less than criminal and corrupt.
- There is an extremely strong case to be made that Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick would not be in Congress but for campaign funding derived from these crimes.
Process
- Today, the House Ethics Adjudicatory Subcommittee will hold a public “trial,” offering Subcommittee members opportunity to evaluate the evidence collected against Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick and offer her the opportunity to defend herself.
- Following the conclusion of “trial,” the Subcommittee will deliberate and vote on each of the counts against Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick.
- In their Statement of Alleged Violations, the Ethics Committee found 27 counts (violations) by Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick.
- This will likely be a closed, executive-session vote.
- Following conclusion of the vote, the adjudicatory subcommittee then reports its finding to the full Ethics Committee, who would – at an undetermined time – hold a closed-door meeting to determine the appropriate sanction against Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick. At that time, the Committee would vote on the recommended sanction and report that to the full House.
- Potential sanctions: Letter of Reproval, Reprimand, Censure, Fine, Loss of Seniority or Committee Assignments, or Expulsion.
- According to House Ethics Committee Rules, censure is for a more serious violation whereas expulsion is for the most serious violation.
- Given that all House Ethics Committee reports are privileged, whatever sanction the full committee recommends would then receive consideration on the House floor.
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