A Florida Democrat has resigned from Congress after allegedly stealing millions in COVID relief funds, some of which she is accused of spending on a glitzy ring.

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, was awaiting punishment after being accused of using millions that her family's health care company received during the pandemic to fuel her political campaign.

Last month, the bipartisan House Ethics Committee found that she had committed numerous violations of House rules and ethics standards, including the alleged theft of more than $5 million in taxpayer funds - part of which she is accused of spending on a flashy diamond ring.

The committee investigated 27 counts of 'violations' connected to the millions she's accused of funneling into her campaign and found 'substantial evidence' to support 'extensive misconduct.'

She was separately indicted by a federal grand jury in Miami in November and is awaiting trial. The ex-congresswoman denies the charges against her and pleaded not guilty.

Cherfilus-McCormick's resignation came as her own colleagues were plotting to expel her from Congress over the messy fiscal affair - in an extremely rare move.  

The former congresswoman, along with a handful of co-conspirators, is accused of steering money that came into a family health-care company she ran with her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, into her campaign coffers through 'straw donations.'

The November indictment in Cherfilus–McCormick's case accuses her of purchasing a 3.14–carat 'Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond' ring from a New York jeweler for $109,000, per CBS12. 

Her official house portrait appears to show a similar piece of jewelry adorning her finger.

Cherfilus-McCormick's departure follows a string of bombshell departures from the House of Representatives in recent weeks.

Two other lawmakers - Tony Gonzales and Eric Swalwell - resigned from Congress last week amid their own pending ethics investigations. The men were facing scathing allegations of sexual misconduct. 

Unlike her two colleagues, Cherfilus-McCormick has most likely not kept her eligibility to receive a congressional pension by resigning ahead of a likely expulsion vote.

Her service lasted from January of 2022 to April of 2026, less than the 5 years required to receive a congressional pension.  

Representative Lauren Boebert and Senator Josh Hawley have separately announced plans to introduce legislation barring lawmakers who resign after sexual assault accusations from collecting their congressional pensions.

In a text to the Washington Examiner, Boebert said she is 'working on bipartisan legislation to state that Members who are convicted of any felony or crimes for an offense committed while in office… are prohibited from receiving their pensions.'

Neither Swalwell nor Gonzales have been charged with any crimes.

Boebert added that those who violate House Rule 18 - which prohibits members from engaging in sexual relationships with staff under their supervision - would also forfeit their pension rights.

In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, the former Florida congresswoman announced her immediate resignation on Tuesday.

'I hereby resign my office from the 119th Congress as Representative for Florida's 20th Congressional District, effective Tuesday April 21, 2026; 1.30pm,' Cherfilus-McCormick stated.

'After careful reflection and prayer, I have concluded that it is in the best interest of my constituents and the institution that I step aside at this time,' she added.

In a separate statement issued Tuesday, Cherfilus-McCormick claimed that the Ethics Committee did not follow a 'fair process.' 

The panel stated that Cherfilus-McCormick committed 25 ethics violations,  noting at the time that it would recommend a punishment in the coming weeks. 

She resigned immediately before the committee was set to release its recommendations for punishment. 

Chairman Michael Guest said, 'In light of Ms. McCormick's resignation earlier today, the Committee on Ethics has now lost jurisdiction on this matter,' adding that 'there will not be a sanctions hearing.'

Cherfilus-McCormick faces up to 53 years in prison if convicted.  

Between the rare public hearing, criminal allegations, and the control of Congress hanging in the balance, as the resignation of a Democrat has widened the narrow GOP majority.

This ethics battle is noteworthy but not unprecedented.

The last member to be expelled from the chamber was George Santos, who was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison for misleading donors and fraudulently spending campaign money. The 2023 vote against Santos was 311-114.

The former congressman had his sentence commuted by Trump after serving around three months in prison.