Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick Resigns Before Ethics Sanctions Hearing, Avoids Expulsion Vote
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat from Florida, resigned from Congress just minutes before a scheduled House Ethics Committee hearing that was set to determine her punishment for multiple ethics violations. Her resignation effectively ends the committee's jurisdiction over her case, which involved allegations of a 'straw donor scheme' and other financial misconduct during her congressional campaign. The Ethics Committee had found 'clear and convincing evidence' of 25 out of 27 alleged violations. Her resignation preempts a potential expulsion vote, which would have required a two-thirds majority in the House. The resignation also alleviates pressure on her Democratic colleagues, who were undecided on whether to support her expulsion. Cherfilus-McCormick, who was facing a separate criminal trial related to FEMA overpayments, stated that she could not defend herself adequately in the ethics probe while under indictment. 
