Washington– Democratic Rep. Sheila Chervilus McCormick of Florida faces a critical moment in her political career on Tuesday, as members of the House Ethics Committee weigh what punishment to recommend after they found she committed a crime. 25 violations House rules and ethical standards, including violations of campaign finance laws.
Republicans are already calling for the expulsion of Chervilus McCormick, who is serving her third term and running for re-election in a district in southeastern Florida. She also faces federal criminal charges against her $5 million in coronavirus disaster relief funds stolen And use the money to buy items such as a 3-carat yellow diamond ring.
Chervilus McCormick has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges and said she is not guilty of ethics violations either.
The allegations against the congresswoman focus on how she obtained millions of dollars from her family’s health care company after Florida mistakenly paid the company nearly $5 million in COVID-19 disaster relief funds. She is accused of using that money to fund her 2022 congressional campaign through a network of businesses and family members.
Chervilus McCormick declined to testify during an earlier ethics committee hearing, citing her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Her attorney is William Barzee And clashes with some representatives He said they should have allowed a full ethics trial, where he could present witnesses and evidence to refute the House investigators’ conclusions.
A group of supporters in Chervilus-McCormick’s congressional district voted in favor with lawmakers leading the Ethics Commission. They noted that the committee’s decision could leave hundreds of thousands of people without representation in Congress during an important period in their terms, and urged committee leaders to proceed with caution.
“Our communities deserve stability. Our voices deserve to be heard. Our right to representation must be protected,” said one letter sent to the committee, signed by about a dozen local religious leaders, union officials and others.
In all, the Commission’s two-year investigation resulted in the issuance of 59 subpoenas, the conduct of 28 witness interviews and the review of more than 33,000 pages of documents.
Rep. Greg Steube, a Republican from Florida, said he would move to fire Chervilus McCormick once the ethics committee decides what punishment it will recommend.
The move, in turn, could prompt Democrats to seek the expulsion of Rep. Corey Mills, a Republican from Florida who is under sanctions. Extensive investigation By the Ethics Committee, which includes whether he violated campaign finance laws, misused congressional resources, and engaged in sexual misconduct or dating violence. This investigation is ongoing. Mills denied any wrongdoing.
The focus on lawmakers’ wrongdoing comes just a week after two lawmakers resigned during ethics investigations into alleged sexual misconduct. Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzalez of Texas They overcame potential expulsion votes with their resignations.
House Democratic leaders declined to convict Cervilus McCormick, saying they wanted to see the ethics process completed. Possible punishments include reprimand or censure, which are forms of public reprimand. The committee can also recommend a fine. The harshest form of punishment is expulsion, but the House has historically been reluctant to act as the final arbiter of a lawmaker’s career, preferring to give the final say to voters.
Only six members of the House of Representatives were expelled. The first three fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War and were expelled for disloyalty. The next two were convicted of crimes. The last was George Santos, The scandal-plagued new student Which was the subject of a scathing ethics report into his conduct as well as a federal indictment. Santos, a Republican from New York, served time in prison for defrauding donors to his campaign against President Donald Trump. I granted him clemencyHe has apologized to his former voters.
Under the Constitution, at least two-thirds of the House must vote in favor of expulsion for it to proceed, a high threshold that requires massive bipartisan support.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Los Angeles, told reporters last week that he believed the House would move to expel Cervilus McCormick.
“The facts are indisputable at this point, so I think there will be a consensus in this body that she should be expelled,” Johnson said.