Attorneys involved in the case against Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) requested that the trial be delayed until February 2027.
Cherfilus-McCormick, who faces over 15 charges of fraud after a House Ethics Committee hearing last month, was scheduled to stand trial in less than a week. The Florida representative allegedly stole over $15 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds, rerouting the money to her campaign fund.
Recommended Stories
The letter requesting the delay said the volume of material in the case was delaying the defense counsel. The defense attorneys “thus require additional time to review the materials in full with their clients,” the letter reads.
The case contains over 1 million records going back years, including “written reports, bank and other financial documents, and recordings and communications.”
The filing was submitted by Edwin Cherfilus, Cherfilus-McCormick’s brother, who also faces federal charges for theft.
Cherfilus-McCormick allegedly failed to return FEMA funds after a Florida state agency mistakenly paid out money in 2021 to Cherfilus-McCormick’s family company, Trinity Health Care Services.
The Florida Democrat and her family funneled money to friends and other relatives, who then donated it back to her campaign, through illegal straw donations, according to the indictment.
On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) called for Cherfilus-McCormick’s expulsion following the resignations of former Reps. Tony Gonzales and Eric Swalwell due to sexual misconduct allegations.
Several Democrats have also said they would support Cherfilus-McCormick’s expulsion from Congress.
“You can’t crime your way into legitimate power,” said Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) on X. “Since she was found guilty, she should resign or be removed.”
However, expulsions from Congress are rare because they require a two-thirds majority vote. Only six House members have ever been expelled.
JOHNSON BACKS EXPELLING SHELIA CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK FROM HOUSE
Cherfilus-McCormick has continued to deny the charges.
“I look forward to proving my innocence,” Cherfilus-McCormick said in a statement last month. “Until then, my focus remains where it belongs: showing up for the great people of Florida’s 20th District who sent me to Washington to fight for them.”
