The House of Representatives voted unanimously Tuesday to hold two allies of former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., in contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the House Ethics Committee's investigation into her conduct.
Mayor Michael Joseph of North Miami Beach, Florida, and Hector Roos, a former aide to Cherfilus-McCormick, now face potential criminal charges after the 218-0 voice vote. The matter has been referred to the Department of Justice, which will decide whether to prosecute. A contempt of Congress conviction carries penalties of up to $100,000 in fines and up to one year in prison.
Cherfilus-McCormick resigned from Congress earlier this year amid bipartisan pressure over allegations that she and her co-defendants conspired to steal $5 million in emergency federal funds intended for COVID-19 vaccination efforts. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
What the Right Is Saying
Republicans leading the ethics probe framed the contempt referrals as essential to protecting congressional authority and ensuring accountability for serious allegations.
"The committee cannot fulfill its obligations to safeguard the integrity of the House for witnesses, ignore its subpoenas, and the House cannot accept such willful disregard of its authorities," said Committee Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss. "Mr. Roos and Mr. Joseph willfully failed to comply with multiple subpoenas issued by the committee."
Guest alleged that Roos filed inaccurate reports with the Federal Election Commission while working for Cherfilus-McCormick and failed to provide adequate justification for his non-compliance.
Regarding Joseph, Guest said the mayor "was the president of a company that improperly provided corporate funds for the congresswoman's campaign, influenced her staff to submit community funding project requests for entities that he supported." Joseph cited attorney-client privilege in refusing to comply, but lawmakers rejected that as a valid justification.
"Their conduct warrants referrals to the United States Department of Justice for contempt of Congress," Guest said.
What the Left Is Saying
House Democrats present during Tuesday's vote signaled their support for holding the two witnesses in contempt, breaking with their former colleague despite partisan pressures.
"At a time when public confidence in Congress is at historic lows and the House's ability to self-police member conduct is under intense scrutiny, enforcing lawful congressional process is vital to delivering swift transparency and accountability for any misconduct," said Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., who serves on the Ethics Committee.
DeSaulnier argued that witnesses who refuse to cooperate with investigations undermine the committee's ability to conduct thorough reviews. "A witness who refuses to cooperate with the Ethics Committee hinders the thoroughness and swiftness of an investigation," he said.
What the Numbers Show
According to the DOJ indictment unsealed in November 2025, Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother Edwin Cherfilus allegedly received an overpayment of $5 million in FEMA funds through their family healthcare company's COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract. Prosecutors allege a substantial portion was used as candidate contributions to her 2021 congressional campaign.
The maximum penalty for contempt of Congress is $100,000 in fines and up to one year imprisonment upon conviction. The House vote passed by voice vote with no lawmaker calling for a recorded roll call vote.
The Bottom Line
The DOJ will now determine whether to pursue criminal charges against Joseph and Roos, a decision that could set precedents for how Congress enforces its investigative authority. The unanimous vote reflects bipartisan consensus on the seriousness of defying congressional subpoenas, even as the underlying ethics case involves a former member of the Democratic caucus.
Cherfilus-McCormick's resignation left her seat vacant, triggering a special election in Florida's 20th Congressional District. Her criminal case remains pending.