Former South Florida Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is out of Congress… but apparently not out of the race.
In a head-spinning twist, the embattled Democrat resigned this week just days before what was expected to be a successful expulsion vote — then doubled down by staying on the ballot for re-election.
Yes, really.
The move comes after a blistering House Ethics Committee report found her guilty on the vast majority of counts tied to a scheme of stealing roughly $5 million in FEMA funds meant for COVID-19 vaccination programs. Prosecutors allege the money was funneled through a healthcare company she ran with her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, and diverted for personal use and campaign spending.
Federal charges are already stacked high — including theft, money laundering, illegal campaign contributions, and filing a false tax return — with potential prison time topping 50 years.
Cherfilus-McCormick has brushed it all off as a “witch hunt,” insisting the process was unfair. Then, in a blink-and-you-miss-it sequence, she resigned… and almost immediately re-emerged as a candidate again.
Even her own party isn’t playing along. Florida Democratic Chair Nikki Fried blasted the situation, saying flatly that “corruption has no place in Congress.”
Still, the former congresswoman appears undeterred — filing her candidacy just days before stepping down and signaling she plans to run “defiantly,” according to reports.
So to recap: stole $5 million, resigned under fire, facing federal charges, denounced by her own party… and campaigning anyway.
Florida’s 20th District Democratic primary is already crowded, featuring names like 2 Live Crew rapper Luther Campbell and several local contenders.
But right now, all eyes are on the candidate who quit Congress — and somehow decided that was just the beginning.
