WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee is holding a rare public hearing Thursday into alleged ethics violations committed by Democratic Rep. Sheila
FILE - Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., listens during a rally on Jan. 28, 2026, in support of the extension of Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants before it expires in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
committed by Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida, pushing into the open a yearslong investigation into how she funded her political rise. The two-term congresswoman is facing numerous ethics charges, including failing to follow campaign finance laws, commingling campaign, personal and business funds and using her position to benefit allies. She is also facing federal charges for allegedly stealing $5 million in COVID-19 disaster relief funds. Over two years of work, committee investigators say they found “substantial evidence” that Cherfilus-McCormick committed the deeds alleged in the federal indictment. She denies any wrongdoing. The hearing could carry significant political repercussions because some Republican lawmakers are threatening a vote to expel Cherfilus-McCormick from the House. Both parties are vying for the ethical high ground before the November elections. Cherfilus-McCormick, who represents a heavily Democratic district in southeastern Florida, has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges and last year called it “an unjust, baseless, sham indictment.” She argued to have the committeeuntil after the conclusion of the criminal trial or to hold the proceedings in private, but the subcommittee examining the allegations unanimouslyThe committee’s work rarely take place in the open. It has been more than 15 years since a sitting member of the House faced a public hearing, dating to the 2010 ethics trial of Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., on charges related to his personal finances. The panel also held a hearing for allegations against Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., that year, but found insufficient evidence to prove the allegations. Thursday’s hearing, which is scheduled to last two hours, will give House investigators an opportunity to lay out their findings and make a motion for the panel of lawmakers to adopt their conclusion that Cherfilus-McCormick committed numerous ethics violations. The full committee could then later recommend a punishment. Cherfilus-McCormick’s lawyer, William R. Barzee, is appealing for the subcommittee to reconsider the earlier decision to go ahead with the public hearing. Barzee told the committee that if she wants to preserve her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in the upcoming federal trial, “she must remain silent before the committee.”Committee investigators have laid out their findings in a 242-page report that concludes Cherfilus-McCormick committed 27 counts of ethics violations. The report alleges that Cherfilus-McCormick first won a special election in 2022 with a campaign that presented itself as self-financed. But in reality, the campaign was substantially funded through a $5 million overpayment for COVID-19 vaccination services that her family’s company had received from the federal government, according to investigators. They also found evidence that the congresswoman then funded her reelection campaign largely through outside groups run by her friends and family, including a company that was mostly funded by the Haitian government. The investigation alleges that she continued to commit ethics violations in office, including using her position to benefit allies with special favors during the appropriations process and disregarding restrictions on volunteer work by her senior campaign adviser. House ethics officials said the committee, which has been considering the matter since 2023, met a dozen times as part of the investigation, reviewed more than 33,000 documents and issued dozens of subpoenas.In February, the Florida Democrat pleaded not guilty to more than a dozen federal counts, including theft of government funds, making and receiving straw donor contributions and money laundering, as well as conspiracy charges associated with each of those counts. Prosecutors accuse her of conspiring to steal $5 million in federal disaster funds mistakenly overpaid to the health care company owned by her family through a federally funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract. Within two months of receiving the money, prosecutors allege, more than $100,000 had been spent to buy the congresswoman a 3-carat yellow diamond ring. Her brother, former chief of staff and accountant were also charged in the alleged scheme. She has said she had no plans to resign. But Cherfilus-McCormick has stepped down from her position as ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, in keeping with House Democratic Caucus rules that require indicted members to relinquish committee leadership positions.Republicans are moving to do just that, although it would require a significant number of Democrats to join them. It takes a two-thirds vote to expel a member from the House. Democratic leaders have so far declined to condemn Cherfilus-McCormick. California Rep. Pete Aguilar, the third-ranked Democrat in House leadership, said this week that he would not “prejudge” the allegations against her.Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., in 2023. Santos had not yet been convicted of federal charges, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., voted against it at the time, expressing concern about setting a precedent of expelling members based on untried allegations.Florida congresswoman faces a rare public hearing on ethics charges. Threat of expulsion vote looms WASHINGTON — The House Ethics Committee is holding a rare public hearing Thursday into alleged ethics violations committed by Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida, pushing into the open a yearslong investigation into how she funded her political rise. The two-term congresswoman is facing numerous ethics charges, including failing to follow campaign finance laws, WASHINGTON — Bill Maher will win the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the Kennedy Center said Thursday, less than a week after the White House forcefully denied that the comedian, who has had a hot-and-cold relationship with President Donald Trump, would win it. “For nearly three decades, the Mark Twain Prize has The average Wall Street bonus rose to a record $246,900 in 2025 amid a surge in profits, New York state’s comptroller reported Thursday. The average bonus rose 6% – or almost $15,000 higher – from the previous year. Wall Street’s bonus pool reached a record $49.2 billion in 2025, up 9%, according to Comptroller Thomas It’s costing more and more to gas up the hot rods that Donnie Beson has spent a lifetime tinkering with. He’s not questioning his support for President Donald Trump, but he feels as though the war in Iran has distracted the Republican president from the issues that got him elected. “Come on, Trump. Worry about CROWLEY, Louisiana — Spring is peak crawfish season in Louisiana, an industry worth about $300 million. However, the industry is struggling this year due to a shortage of seasonal foreign workers, and some are blaming President Donald Trump’s administration for what they say has been a failure to authorize enough guest workers in time. WASHINGTON — Pressure is mounting on Congress to end the funding shutdown that’s resulted in travel disruptions, missed paychecks and even warnings of airport closures, but lawmakers have yet to resolve the underlying issue of reining in President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement operations. Senators are expected to vote Thursday on a Republican proposal that WSECU Community Champion: Chrystal Ortega’s mission to feed Spokane Chrystal Ortega's tireless dedication recently earned her the WSECU Community Champions Award and a $1,000 grant to further the mission.When Shawn Tibbitts opened Tibbitts FernHill, he was just trying to survive. The small Tacoma restaurant has since earned culinary awards and praise.Wilcox Family Farms is continuing its cherished holiday tradition of giving back by donating nearly one million eggs to food banks across the South Sound region this season.Matthew Ballantyne has transformed that early awareness into action, embodying the organization's mission:"No Kid Sleeps On The Floor In Our Town."
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