Watch Live: Democrat Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick Faces Public House Ethics Hearing Following ’27-Count Statement’ of Alleged Violations 2:00 PM ET
The Gateway Pundit reported that a sitting Democrat member of Congress from Broward County, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), surrendered to federal authorities in December 2025, amid explosive allegations that she orchestrated a scheme to steal and launder $5 million in FEMA COVID-19 disaster relief funds.
On Thursday, Cherfilus-McCormick is expected to testify before the House Ethics Committee during a hearing, the first time the panel will hold a public hearing against a lawmaker since 2010. It is scheduled to begin at 2:00 pm ET.
In the 15-count federal indictment, she is alleged to have used some of the funds to bankroll her 2021 congressional campaign and to purchase a luxury yellow diamond ring.
She faces charges including conspiracy, theft of government funds, money laundering, making and receiving straw-donor contributions, and filing false statements on her federal tax return.
According to the Department of Justice, prosecutors allege that Cherfilus-McCormick and her 51-year-old brother, Edwin Cherfilus, siphoned off $5,057,850 FEMA funds.
The case is separate from a sprawling federal indictment accusing Cherfilus-McCormick of stealing more than $5 million in disaster relief funds to finance her inaugural congressional run in 2021 and purchase luxury items, including a large diamond ring. The Florida Democrat is also alleged to have participated in a straw donor scheme and conspired to file a false federal tax return.
Cherfilus-McCormick has repeatedly sought to delay the hearing, citing the ongoing federal criminal case and losing her legal representation earlier in March. It is not clear whether the Florida Democrat will be represented by an attorney at the hearing.
The House Ethics Committee will address a 27-count “statement of alleged violations” that was released against Cherfilus-McCormick.
The alleged violations include:
Campaign Finance Violations
- Accepting excessive contributions from individuals and entities beyond federal limits.
Accepting illegal corporate contributions (including from Petrogaz-Haiti S.A., LLC, allegedly funded by foreign/Haitian government sources). - Using illegal conduit/straw donor contributions (hiding the true source of funds).
- Systemic misreporting to the FEC: incorrect payees, amounts, dates, and sources of contributions/expenditures across multiple election cycles (2018, 2020, 2022, etc.).
- Failing to properly report (or misreporting) candidate loans and repayments.
- Commingling personal, business, and campaign funds.
Criminal Conduct Tied to Campaign Funding
- Money laundering of improperly retained government funds ( via FEMA/COVID payments to her family’s company, Trinity Health Care Services, LLC), with portions allegedly funneled into her 2021–2022 congressional campaign.
- Money laundering of illegal campaign contributions (e.g., from Petrogaz-Haiti-related entities).
- Making false statements on FEC reports.
Financial Disclosure Violations
- Failure to file required candidate Financial Disclosure Statements (for 2018, 2020, and 2022 candidacies).
- Knowing and willful filing of inaccurate disclosures, including underreporting or mischaracterizing income from her businesses (e.g., large “consulting/profit-sharing” payments from Trinity that lacked supporting documentation).
Code of Ethics for Government Service & House Rules
- Providing special favors to allies/friends in connection with congressional community project funding/earmark requests (steering benefits to for-profit or connected entities).
- Accepting impermissible voluntary services for official House work.
- Conduct that does not reflect creditably on the House.
- Failure to uphold U.S. laws and regulations.
Watch the hearing live from 2:00 pm- 4:00 ET:
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