FLORIDA — Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned on April 21, 2026, minutes before a scheduled House Ethics Committee hearing into her conduct. The committee concluded that she violated 25 House rules, including provisions related to financial fraud, money laundering, and campaign finance.

The committee found that $5 million in COVID relief funding sent to Cherfilus-McCormick's nonprofit organization was retained by the organization and allegedly funneled to her campaign and herself. She is also facing a criminal case, and said she did not cooperate with the Ethics Committee due to the pending criminal indictment. The committee said the House has a right to conduct Ethics investigations even if related criminal cases are pending.

Cherfilus-McCormick said in a statement: "This was not a fair process. The Ethics Committee refused my new attorney's reasonable request for time to prepare my defense. By going forward with this process while a criminal indictment is pending, the committee prevented me from defending myself."

Representative Suhas Subramanyam commented on the outcome of the inquiry. "The process worked in some ways, in that she decided to resign, instead of face any consequences that may be coming her way. Certainly the process over the past two years was able to uncover a lot of evidence in some ways. I'd like to see us move faster in the future," Subramanyam said.

The resignation followed a series of departures and ethics matters involving House members. Representatives Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales resigned from Congress on April 14, 2026, following accusations of sexual misconduct.

Representative Cory Mills faces campaign finance violation charges. Police investigated a domestic assault call against Mills in Washington, D.C., in 2025, and the woman involved did not press charges. Body camera video recorded Mills telling officers he would call the attorney general during the investigation. A protective order was filed against Mills by a different woman in Florida. Mills said he has not been charged with any crimes and is willing to go through the House Ethics process to defend himself. Representative Nancy Mace introduced a bill to expel Mills and has not placed it on a fast track.

The National Women's Defense League found that 30 members of Congress have been publicly accused of sexual harassment since 2006, and that 77 percent of the publicly reported cases against members of Congress involved staffers.