House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) voiced stern opposition Friday to a Republican-led effort to expel Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) from Congress over allegations of financial misconduct.
Why it matters: Expulsion requires a two-thirds majority to pass, meaning it would need substantial Democratic support even if all Republicans vote for it. Jeffries' opposition likely forecloses that possibility.
- "If, in fact, there is a resolution that's brought to the floor to try to expel the congresswoman, it's going to fail," Jeffries said at a Friday press conference, pointing to the two-thirds threshold.
- A spokesperson for Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), who is leading the effort, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Driving the news: Steube said Thursday he plans to force a vote next week to expel Cherfilus-McCormick after a House Ethics Committee report said the panel uncovered "substantial" evidence to support the criminal charges she is facing.
- McCormick was indicted in November for allegedly laundering a $5 million COVID contract overpayment the Florida government made to her family's health care company and funneling much of the money into her congressional campaign.
- In addition to those charges, the report accused Cherfilus-McCormick of failing to properly disclose her campaign and personal finances, accepting improper campaign donations and steering federal funding to friends and associates in violation of House rules.
- Cherfilus-McCormick has proclaimed her innocence, pleading not guilty to the criminal charges and saying of the report: "I reject these allegations and remain confident the full facts will make clear I did nothing wrong."
What they're saying: "The congresswoman is of course entitled to the presumption of innocence. She's going through the process right now," Jeffries said when asked by Axios if he plans to actively oppose the expulsion vote.
- "Any effort to expel her lacks any basis, at this moment, in law, fact or the Constitution," he said.
- Jeffries called the possible expulsion vote "an exercise that is just designed to get attention and is inconsistent with what due process requires at this moment."
Between the lines: If Steube forces the vote, it will be just days after a Saturday special election in Texas that is guaranteed to elect another House Democrat.
- That would further erode Republicans' already razor-thin majority in the House, giving Democrats 214 members to the GOP's 218.
- That would mean Republicans will only be able to lose a single vote on an otherwise party-line vote if the House is in full attendance.
