Hakeem Jeffries has called Republicans corrupt every single day for two years.
A reporter asked him whether his party would oppose expelling a House Democrat indicted of stealing $5 million in FEMA disaster relief money.
What he said next will make your blood boil.
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Found Guilty on 25 Ethics Counts by Bipartisan Panel
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida is not facing vague accusations or a political hit job.
A special bipartisan subcommittee – equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats – found her guilty on 25 of 27 ethics charges after members worked through the night to reach a verdict.
Those charges include money laundering, false statements on campaign finance reports, commingling campaign and personal funds, and using her congressional office to solicit favors from entities receiving federal money.
The panel reviewed more than 33,000 documents and interviewed 28 witnesses before concluding the evidence was overwhelming.
This was the House's first public ethics trial since 2010 – held in the open because Cherfilus-McCormick refused to resign and chose to fight.
She sat through seven hours of testimony, said nothing, and walked out still claiming innocence.
Here is what she actually did.
Her family's healthcare company, Trinity Healthcare Services, had a FEMA-funded contract to staff COVID-19 vaccination sites in 2021.
A Florida state agency accidentally deposited a $5 million overpayment into Trinity's bank account.
Instead of returning it, she and her brother Edwin laundered the money through a chain of accounts to conceal its origin.
More than $1.1 million of that pandemic relief money landed directly in her congressional campaign fund.
She also bought Tiffany jewelry, a 3.14-carat yellow diamond ring, designer clothing, high-end hotel stays, and a Tesla.
The Justice Department indicted her in November on 15 federal counts – theft of government funds, money laundering, straw donor contributions, and filing a false tax return.
She faces 53 years in prison if convicted.
Jeffries Said Two Words When Asked About Expulsion
A reporter asked Jeffries directly whether Democrats would oppose expelling Cherfilus-McCormick.
His response: "Next question."
That is what the leader of the House Democratic caucus had to offer about a sitting member of his conference convicted of laundering $5 million meant to vaccinate Americans during a pandemic.
No condemnation.
Not even a full sentence.
Back in February, before the guilty verdict, Jeffries was more direct — telling reporters he was "a hard no" on expulsion and predicting any removal effort would fail.
After the bipartisan panel came back with 25 guilty counts Friday morning, Jeffries told reporters he wasn't going to "get out ahead of the Ethics Committee process."
Pete Aguilar – the House Democratic Conference Chairman – admitted he hadn't even read the findings, then said "that doesn't sound good" when told his colleague was found guilty on 25 counts.
The double standard is impossible to ignore.
When George Santos – a Republican – got tangled in ethics violations, Democrats pushed hard for expulsion before any criminal conviction.
Santos was removed in a 311 to 114 vote in December 2023.
Now Jeffries' own member gets a bipartisan guilty verdict on 25 counts and he needs more process.
Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts said it plainly: "How do you maintain your credibility if you're going to treat Democrats better than Republicans?"
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington became the first Democrat to call for resignation Friday: "You can't crime your way into legitimate power. Since she was found guilty, she should resign or be removed."
A handful of others said they'd back expulsion if she didn't resign on her own terms.
The House Ethics Committee Verdict Just Blew Up the Democrat Corruption Argument
Jeffries has built Democrats' entire 2026 midterm strategy around the corruption message – hammering Trump on fraud and self-dealing every single day, asking voters to trust Democrats as the clean alternative.
That argument is now sitting next to a bipartisan guilty verdict for stealing COVID disaster relief money to buy a diamond ring and a congressional seat.
AG Pamela Bondi said it when the indictment dropped: "Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime. No one is above the law, least of all powerful people who rob taxpayers for personal gain."
Cherfilus-McCormick is now running for a fourth term in November – and issued a statement Friday saying her focus "remains where it belongs: showing up for the great people of Florida's 20th District."
The voters of Florida's 20th sent her to Washington, and she used $5 million in pandemic relief money to get there.
Only six House members have ever been expelled in American history.
James Traficant – a Democrat from Ohio – was removed 420 to 1 in 2002 after conviction on 10 counts of bribery, racketeering, and fraud.
Cherfilus-McCormick could be number seven.
Jeffries said "next question" when a reporter asked about it.
He is going to need a better answer than that.
Sources:
- Adam Pack, "Jeffries declines to break with indicted Democrat after ethics panel's guilty verdict," Fox News, March 28, 2026.
- "South Florida Congresswoman Charged with Stealing $5 Million in FEMA Funds," U.S. Department of Justice, November 2025.
- "House panel finds Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick guilty of 25 ethics charges," NBC News, March 28, 2026.
- "No one's comfortable: Jeffries faces threat of revolt on ousting one of his members," Axios, March 26, 2026.
- Mike Marinella, "Dem hypocrisy on full display in Cherfilus-McCormick case," NRCC, March 25, 2026.
- Andrew Solender, "Jeffries faces Democrats revolt threat over Cherfilus-McCormick," Axios, March 26, 2026.