Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a former U.S. Representative for Florida, resigned on April 21, 2026, amid a criminal indictment and House ethics findings. In November 2025, she was indicted on federal charges including the theft and laundering of $5 million in COVID-19/FEMA disaster relief funds, campaign finance fraud, and tax fraud. Prosecutors allege these funds were funneled through her family's company, Trinity Healthcare Services, to her congressional campaigns and personal use. She has pleaded not guilty; her criminal trial is scheduled for February 2027. Separately, the House Ethics Committee investigated her for 27 counts of misconduct. In March 2026, an adjudicatory subcommittee found clear and convincing evidence she committed 25 violations, including illegal corporate campaign contributions, unauthorized personal use of campaign funds, and the submission of inaccurate financial disclosures. She resigned minutes before a scheduled hearing to determine potential sanctions, which could have included expulsion. She has consistently denied wrongdoing, characterizing the ethics investigation as a witch hunt.