Haitian-American Florida Representative Sheila Cherfilus‑McCormick resigned from the United States House of Representatives Tuesday, shortly before the House Ethics Committee was set to deliver a high-stakes decision after finding her guilty of violating several campaign finance laws and regulations.
In a statement posted to social media, the Florida Democrat denounced what she described as a “witch hunt” against her.
“I simply cannot stand by and allow my due process rights to be trampled on, and my good name to be tarnished. Rather than play these political games, I choose to step away,” she wrote.
Within moments of the ethics panel gaveling in to formally determine its recommended punishment, the House clerk read Cherfilus-McCormick’s resignation into the record.
House Ethics Chairman Michael Guest noted that given the congresswoman had stepped down, the committee had lost its jurisdiction and would no longer consider sanctions against her.
The committee had found the congresswoman guilty on multiple counts of failing to comply with Federal Election Commission regulations and uphold the Code of Ethics for Government Service. The guilty verdict came a day after Cherfilus-McCormick appeared before the panel for a rare public hearing to face allegations she stole millions in federal disaster funds and used it to bolster her 2021 campaign.
The bipartisan committee, which oversees members’ conduct, had six types of sanctions at its disposal, including expulsion from the House and a fine. The panel has only recommended expulsion four times since it was established more than 50 years ago, according to the committee.
Over the course of its investigation, the panel sent 30 requests for information, issued 59 subpoenas, conducted 28 witness interviews and reviewed more than 33,000 pages of documents.
Following its findings last month, Cherfilus-McCormick had said she intended to focus on her work in Congress.
Separately, Cherfilus-McCormick has also been indicted on charges of stealing federal disaster funds, the U.S. Department of Justice announced in November 2025. The congresswoman has pleaded not guilty to those charges.
Seat Could Remain Vacant
Tuesday’s resignation leaves hundreds of thousands of South Floridians in parts of Broward County and Palm Beach County without representation in Congress, and the 20th Congressional District seat could remain empty for months.
That’s because it is up to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to call a special election — a move he is considered unlikely to make. Republicans currently maintain a slim majority in the House, and allowing the seat to remain vacant until November’s election winner is sworn in next January would help preserve that margin.
Cherfilus-McCormick resigned on the same day she was scheduled to be formally disciplined by the House as part of the ethics investigation into her use of campaign funds.
In an extended social media statement Tuesday, the South Florida Democrat criticized the internal investigation process as unfair, saying the House committee denied her and her new attorney adequate time to prepare a defense.
“Rather than play these political games, I choose to step away,” she wrote.
Crowded Democratic Primary
The district is widely considered a safe Democratic seat, meaning the Aug. 18 Democratic primary winner is expected to easily prevail in November.
The primary already includes five challengers: Luther Campbell, also known as “Uncle Luke”; Elijah Manley; Mark Douglass; Maisha Williams; and Jamaican-American Dale Holness, the former Broward County Mayor who lost a 2021 special election to Cherfilus-McCormick by only five votes.
Manley, who a February poll showed leading the primary field before Campbell entered the race, issued a statement following the resignation.
“Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick did not resign out of conscience. She resigned to avoid being formally expelled from Congress by her own colleagues. She still stole $5 million meant for families recovering from disaster. She still laundered it into a congressional campaign built on a lie. She still faces a 15-count federal indictment and up to 53 years in prison, and that accountability must continue,” the statement read.
Manley also called on DeSantis to quickly call a special election before the August primary, saying, “Every day without a representative is another day working people in South Florida are pushed aside.”
Campbell also released a statement following the resignation.
“This moment is bigger than any one individual. It is about the people of this district — and they deserve stability, focus, and leadership that delivers,” the statement said.
