Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Florida Democrat, resigned from Congress on Tuesday. She stepped down moments before the House Ethics Committee was set to hold a public hearing to determine what punishment she would receive.
The House Ethics Committee had found that Cherfilus-McCormick committed 25 violations of House rules and ethical standards, including breaking campaign finance laws. Her resignation occurred as the committee was weighing whether to recommend that she be expelled from Congress.
The resignation follows an indictment filed in November in Miami federal court. Cherfilus-McCormick faces U.S. charges accusing her of stealing and laundering $5 million in federal Covid-19 pandemic disaster funds. Prosecutors allege that she used some of the stolen money to support her congressional campaign. She is currently preparing for a federal trial on these allegations.