Embattled former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) resigned from office this week but is still registered to run for reelection, the news coming after she was accused of stealing $5 million in FEMA disaster relief funds.
The Democrat submitted a notice of her candidacy to the Florida Department of State on April 17 but resigned from office on April 21, Fox News reported Friday.
“The filing raises questions about whether Cherfilus-McCormick believes she can still pursue political office despite facing intense scrutiny at the moment,” the outlet said.
She resigned from Congress moments before the House Ethics Committee was going to consider sanctions regarding a federal criminal case and after several months of intense legal and ethics issues, Breitbart News reported Tuesday:
A federal grand jury in Miami indicted Cherfilus-McCormick in November 2025, alleging she and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, diverted a $5 million FEMA overpayment tied to a 2021 COVID-19 vaccination contract through their family company, Trinity Health Care Services.
Prosecutors alleged some of the money was routed through multiple accounts and used to fund Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign, make straw-donor contributions, and benefit the defendants personally. She also was accused of conspiring with former tax preparer David K. Spencer to file a false federal tax return. Cherfilus-McCormick has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.
In a statement detailing her resignation, Cherfilus-McCormick claimed she was “prevented” from defending herself and called the investigation a “witch hunt.”
“Rather than play these political games, I choose to step away so that I can devote my time to fighting for my neighbors in Florida’s 20th district,” she wrote.
“This fight is far from over,” the Democrat concluded:
In January, officials said they had uncovered “substantial evidence” in the fraud investigation linked to Cherfilus-McCormick. However, one of her lawyers said at the time, “Representative Cherfilus-McCormick disputes and refutes the allegations and report of the Ethics Committee’s Investigative Subcommittee.”
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