U.S. Congresswomen Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, left, appeared in Miami federal court on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, but did not enter a plea to charges that she stole $5 million in federal disaster relief funds.
Pedro Portal | Tribune News Service | Getty Images
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned from the House of Representatives effective immediately on Tuesday, as the chamber’s Ethics Committee prepared to discuss the Florida Democrat’s punishment for violating more than two dozen House rules and ethical standards.
Cherfilus-McCormick is the third House member to resign since April 13. On April 13, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Rep. Tony Gonzalez, a Texas Republican, said they would resign in the face of separate allegations of sexual misconduct.
In her resignation statement, which was posted on X, Cherfilus-McCormick said the Ethics Committee’s process in dealing with allegations against her while she faced a pending criminal indictment was unfair.
“By going forward with this process while a criminal indictment is pending, the Committee prevented me from defending myself,” Cherfilus-McCormick said.
“I simply cannot stand by and allow my due process rights to be trampled on, and my good name to be tarnished.”
She was indicted in November in U.S. District Court in Miami on charges accusing her of stealing $5 million in Covid-19 disaster funds, a portion of which was then allegedly contributed to her 2021 congressional campaign.
Cherfilus-McCormick denies wrongdoing.
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