The House Ethics Committee has found Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., guilty of 25 ethics violations, but House Democratic leadership is not yet breaking with the embattled lawmaker.
The bipartisan ethics panel determined the Florida Democrat committed charges including money laundering, making false statements on campaign finance reports and seeking special favors from entities receiving federal funding. The committee will announce its recommended punishment in April, which could be as severe as expulsion from the House.
What the Left Is Saying
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Friday he would not get ahead of the Ethics Committee process. 'As I understand it, the Ethics Committee has one final step in their process, so I'm not going to get out ahead of the Ethics Committee process that will be completed upon our return,' Jeffries said. 'And then I'll have more to say.'
House Democratic Conference Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., told Punchbowl News he had not seen the ethics panel's findings but added 'that doesn't sound good' when informed of the 25 violations.
Most Democrats have remained silent on Cherfilus-McCormick's conduct. The Florida Democrat is also facing a separate federal criminal indictment that could result in more than five decades in prison if convicted. She has pleaded not guilty to those charges.
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., became the first Democratic lawmaker to publicly call for Cherfilus-McCormick to resign or be removed. 'You can't crime your way into legitimate power,' Gluesenkamp Perez wrote. 'Since she was found guilty, she should resign or be removed.'
What the Right Is Saying
The National Republican Congressional Committee, House Republicans' campaign arm, criticized congressional Democrats' lack of outrage over Cherfilus-McCormick's conduct. 'The Ethics Committee just confirmed that Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick broke the rules, and House Democrats are still saying nothing,' NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella said Friday. 'Their silence is a choice. Democrats can stand for accountability or keep protecting a proven ethics violator, but voters won't forget it.'
A handful of congressional Democrats said Friday they would consider backing an expulsion resolution if the indicted lawmaker did not leave on her own terms. Under House rules, a two-thirds majority would be required to formally remove Cherfilus-McCormick from the chamber.
What the Numbers Show
The House Ethics Committee found Cherfilus-McCormick guilty of 25 ethics violations. The panel will announce its recommended punishment in April.
Cherfilus-McCormick faces a separate federal criminal indictment alleging she illegally transferred millions in disaster relief funds improperly paid to her family's healthcare company to finance her run for Congress and the purchase of luxury items, including a massive diamond ring. If convicted on all counts, she could face more than five decades in prison.
She is running for a fourth term in November's midterm elections. The Florida Democrat has given no indication she will resign.
The Bottom Line
House Democratic leadership is taking a wait-and-see approach before deciding whether to abandon Cherfilus-McCormick. Jeffries said he will have more to say after the Ethics Committee completes its final step, which is expected upon the House's return.
The ethics panel's recommended punishment in April could range from censure to expulsion. If expulsion is recommended, it would require support from two-thirds of the House to pass. Republicans are likely to press for a vote if the committee recommends removal, putting pressure on vulnerable Democrats in competitive districts.
Voters in Florida's 20th District will decide whether to return Cherfilus-McCormick to Congress in November. She has said she looks forward to proving her innocence and that her focus remains on serving her constituents.