# Allies of disgraced ex-House Dem poised for criminal charges for refusing Congress’ probe

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/allies-of-disgraced-ex-house-dem-poised-for-criminal-charges-for-refusing-congress-probe/
- Published: 2026-09-01T20:03:02+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-01T20:31:54+00:00
- Original publisher: Fox News (publisher lean: Far right)
- Original article: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/allies-disgraced-ex-house-dem-poised-criminal-charges-refusing-congress-probe
- Topics: Government, Politics, World

## Key points

- House unanimously holds two Cherfilus-McCormick allies in contempt of Congress
- DOJ will decide whether to bring criminal charges against them
- Comes after Cherfilus-McCormick resigned amid a $5m FEMA fraud indictment

## Summary

The US House of Representatives voted unanimously on Tuesday to hold two allies of disgraced former congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick in contempt of Congress, after they refused to cooperate with a House Ethics Committee investigation into her conduct. North Miami Beach Mayor Michael Joseph and former Cherfilus-McCormick aide Hector Roos both ignored multiple subpoenas, prompting the House to refer their cases to the Department of Justice, which will now decide whether to pursue criminal charges. A contempt of Congress conviction carries a potential fine of up to $100,000 (£79,000) and up to a year in prison.

Committee chairman Michael Guest said Roos filed inaccurate reports with the Federal Election Commission and offered no adequate justification for non-compliance, while Joseph, whose company allegedly funnelled corporate funds improperly to Cherfilus-McCormick's campaign, cited attorney-client privilege, which lawmakers rejected as valid grounds. The vote passed by voice vote with no objections from either party. Cherfilus-McCormick, a Florida Democrat, resigned from Congress earlier in 2026 amid pressure from both parties after being indicted; prosecutors allege she and her brother conspired to steal $5 million in FEMA emergency funds via their family healthcare company and used the money to help finance her 2021 congressional campaign.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.