House Democrats appear ready to do something rare in modern Washington, hold one of their own accountable before the public drags them there first.
According to reports, several Democrats are quietly preparing to vote to expel Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick once the House Ethics Committee weighs in on her case. That hearing is set for Tuesday, and the mood inside the caucus reportedly ranges from nervous to “please make this disappear by lunch.”
Cherfilus-McCormick is accused of laundering $5 million in COVID relief funds and funneling the money into her campaign. She has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty, which means the legal process should play out. That said, politics has its own clock, and members of Congress tend to move quickly when they think someone else’s scandal might stain their shoes.
Republicans are expected to force the issue, but they will need around 80 Democrats to join them for expulsion. Under normal circumstances, that would be a steep climb. But these are not normal circumstances, and Democrats seem unusually eager to discover their long-lost devotion to ethics.
Rep. Angie Craig called the accusations “incredibly, incredibly serious.” Rep. Eric Sorensen said lawmakers need to show Americans they can trust Congress. Trust Congress. There is a phrase that belongs in a museum next to rotary phones and affordable groceries.
Several Democrats are already signaling support for removal if the Ethics Committee recommends it. Others seem willing to go even further regardless of what the committee says. One anonymous Democrat reportedly admitted there is “an appetite for” expulsion, then added the party may just be “so pathetic and unproductive” that members need something to do.
At least someone in the caucus is self-aware.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has stayed cautious in public, saying lawmakers will follow the facts and the law. Translation, leadership is counting votes, testing headlines, and deciding whether this can be solved quietly with a resignation letter and a solemn statement about “focusing on family.”
That would follow the old Pelosi model. When scandals became too messy, the preferred solution was often a discreet push toward the exit before a recorded vote could embarrass the party. Several Democrats reportedly expect Jeffries to try the same playbook.
And honestly, from a cold political standpoint, why wouldn’t he? Forcing members to vote on expelling a fellow Democrat over allegations involving COVID money is not exactly the messaging strategy they dreamed about.
The broader issue is simple. Americans are tired of watching politicians preach ethics one day and practice tribal protection the next. If the charges are serious, then serious action should follow. If they are not, then members should stop leaking bravado to reporters.
Either way, this drama says plenty about the state of Congress. When lawmakers are more energized by expelling colleagues than passing meaningful legislation, the institution has problems bigger than one scandal.
By week’s end, Cherfilus-McCormick may resign, be expelled, or survive. But the public already learned something important. Even in Washington, there are moments when self-preservation finally outruns party loyalty. Rare, but not extinct.
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