House ethics panel weighs case against Miramar congresswoman after public hearing
The new attorney for indicted Miramar congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick appeared before the U.S. House Ethics Committee on Thursday and urged lawmakers to halt their proceedings, arguing they could jeopardize her upcoming criminal trial.
Attorney William Barzee asked the panel to pause its public inquiry into alleged ethics violations tied to $5 million in FEMA disaster funds until the federal criminal case is resolved.
Her trial is scheduled for April 15.
“We are asking the committee to simply pause so there is no risk of tainting a jury,” Barzee told members March 26 during the rare public hearing, where he requested at least a halt until June. “Let us finish our case and then pick up where you left off.”
Committee members from both parties pushed back, arguing that the ethics case is separate from the criminal charges and falls under Congress’ responsibility to police its members.
Rep. Michael Guest, a Mississippi Republican who chairs the Ethics Committee, said the panel’s role is to determine whether Cherfilus-McCormick violated the rules of the House, not whether she broke criminal law.
“This committee is about respecting the rules of the House,” Guest said during the hearing.
Brittaney Pecatore, the committee’s investigative counsel, also warned that delaying the process could complicate the timeline because Cherfilus-McCormick is seeking reelection in November. House ethics rules impose a “blackout period” before Florida’s August primary, when hearings like the one held Thursday are not conducted.
After seven hours of arguments, the panel recessed and then rejected the request to halt the proceedings. They will continue deliberations and then announce in a joint statement whether they believe Cherfilus-McCormick is guilty.
The congresswoman, who resides in Miramar, where her family’s health care company, Trinity, is based, did not testify. She sat beside her attorney, occasionally whispering to him or passing notes.
In November, federal prosecutors indicted Cherfilus-McCormick and three others, including her brother, accusing them of misappropriating FEMA funds mistakenly sent to her family’s health care company for COVID-19 pandemic relief programs.
Cherfilus-McCormick has denied wrongdoing. Her legal team argues the payments were legitimate under what they described as a profit-sharing arrangement with the family company. If the ethics panel concludes she violated House rules, it could recommend disciplinary action to the full House — including the possibility of expulsion, which would require a two-thirds vote of the chamber.
The committee is expected to announce its next steps after reviewing the case in a private session.
This story was originally published March 27, 2026 at 9:13 AM.
