Accountability push turns to Cherfilus-McCormick, Mills
Published in Political News
WASHINGTON — With two congressmen accused of sexual misconduct gone, lawmakers are trying to add two more members accused of other ethics violations — Florida Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Cory Mills — to the chopping block.
Calls for the two to resign are not spread equally. Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat accused of using FEMA overpayment funds to support her 2021 congressional campaign, is facing broader calls to resign than Mills, a Republican accused of sexually harassing his ex-girlfriend, assault and campaign finance misrepresentation.
“She should resign. She shouldn’t be forcing her colleagues to try to take a position … But it should not have taken three years for Ethics to do the right thing,” said Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who helped lead the ouster efforts regarding Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas.
“Nor do I think it needs to take multiple years for Cory Mills’ process to go through,” she said.
Only a handful of lawmakers — mostly Democrats — have publicly joined the push for both Mills and Cherfilus-McCormick to give up their seats, which has largely begun on social media. More, however, have called on only Cherfilus-McCormick to leave Congress, with no mention of Mills.
Although the Ethics Committee is investigating both members, the panel scheduled a public hearing on April 21 to determine whether it will impose “sanctions” against Cherfilus-McCormick. In a rare move, the committee held a public “trial” in March before finding her guilty of violating ethics rules.
The public hearing next week provides a natural deadline of sorts to hold Cherfilus-McCormick accountable for the allegations, members said — something Mills, whose investigations are still ongoing, doesn’t have.
“Sheila McCormick, we have your expulsion vote ready to be called up on the 21st,” Luna tweeted on Tuesday. “Either resign or be expelled. Those are your two options.”
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., predicted the Ethics Committee would recommend punishment for Cherfilus-McCormick.
“I expect that they will come forward with a recommended punishment for the Congress, and I suspect that may be expulsion,” he said Wednesday, adding that he thought such a response would be “appropriate.”
“We’ll police as well as we can, and we will call on every member of Congress to serve with the dignity of your office that is required and expected of you,” he said.
Johnson did not mention Mills or the calls for him to resign.
But in a closely divided House, both parties will seek equity in punishment.
House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., said Wednesday that if Republicans vote to expel Cherfilus McCormick, then “all options are on the table for Democrats.”
“In this case, Cory Mills also has an ethics process that is moving forward, but we reserve the right to respond based on how Republicans treat this,” he said. “If they want to treat this overly political, then we respect that, and we’ll respond to that. But I’m respecting that the committee has some work … and then we will go from there.”
Some members, like Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, are warning that House members should be careful about “policing ourselves.” The voters should ultimately decide whether Cherfilus-McCormick or Mills should be in Congress, he said.
For his part, Mills this week told NewsNation that he doesn’t “fall into the category of Swalwell or Gonzales.”
“One, I’m not married, so there’s one thing. Two, I’ve never sexually harassed or had any complaints by any staffers or interns on the hill. It’s just not even a fair comparison,” he said. “This is obviously a political Democratic tit for tat, so I’m not even going to entertain it, but I’ve not heard anything as far as myself.”
Cherfilus-McCormick, who faces 15 federal counts, including theft of government funds and money laundering, has said she is innocent, saying it was “an unjust, baseless, sham indictment.”
The calls for the lawmakers’ resignations have also lit a fire under the Ethics Committee to wrap up their investigations — especially if people have come forward with evidence.
“If we’ve got facts, then it’s time. He needs to go,” said Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., of Mills.
Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M., said she’d also like to see Mills held accountable but pointed to the incomplete investigation.
“The thing is, I haven’t seen the evidence personally,” she said. “But the committee needs to act quickly because that was the frustration.”
Nina Heller contributed to this report.
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