声名狼藉的前众议院民主党盟友因拒绝国会调查面临刑事指控

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

North Miami Beach Mayor Michael Joseph and former aide Hector Roos face potential DOJ criminal charges

September 1, 2026 4:03pm EDT / Fox News

By Elizabeth Elkind Fox News

‘America Reports’ co-anchor Sandra Smith reports on Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick stepping down before a formal disciplinary hearing by the House as part of an ethics investigation.

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Allies of a former House Democrat under federal indictment are now facing potential criminal charges themselves.

The House of Representatives unanimously agreed to hold two people in contempt of Congress on Tuesday — North Miami Beach, Florida, Mayor Michael Joseph and Hector Roos, a former aide to ex-Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla. — for failing to work with the House Ethics Committee’s investigation into the disgraced Sunshine State Democrat.

It’s now up to the Department of Justice (DOJ) whether it pursues criminal charges against both. A contempt of Congress conviction carries a fine of up to $100,000 and up to a year in jail.

DISGRACED DEM CUT OFF FROM DOING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT AFTER ALLEGED ‘OUTRIGHT FRAUD’ UNCOVERED

Then-Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick takes the oath of office during a ceremonial swearing-in ceremony at Broward County Governmental Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Jan. 18, 2022.(Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

“The committee cannot fulfill its obligations to safeguard the integrity of the House for witnesses, ignore its subpoenas, and the House cannot accept such willful disregard of its authorities. Mr. Roos and Mr. Joseph willfully fail to comply with multiple subpoenas issued by the committee,” Committee Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., said.

“They impeded the investigative subcommittee’s investigations into the allegations concerning former Representative Cherfilus-McCormick. Those allegations were serious and included violations of federal law to which Mr. Roos and Mr. Joseph were party there. Their conduct warrants referrals to the United States Department of Justice for contempt of Congress.”

MIKE JOHNSON SAYS HE SUPPORTS EXPELLING SHEILA CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK OVER DOZENS OF ETHICS VIOLATIONS

The measure passed by voice vote on Tuesday afternoon, meaning lawmakers were not individually put on the record over where they stand. Any lawmaker can stand and object to a voice vote and call for a roll call instead, which none did.

The Democrats present instead signaled they were fully in support of the bid against their fellow left-wingers.

FLORIDA DEM FILED FOR RE-ELECTION DAYS BEFORE RESIGNATION AS HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE RAMPED UP PRESSURE

Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., walks through the Capitol.(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“At a time when public confidence in Congress is at historic lows and the House’s ability to self-police member conduct is under intense scrutiny, enforcing lawful congressional process is vital to delivering swift transparency and accountability for any misconduct,” Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., said. “A witness who refuses to cooperate with the Ethics Committee hinders the thoroughness and swiftness of an investigation.”

Guest charged that Roos “filed inaccurate reports” with the Federal Election Commission while working for Cherfilus-McCormick. He said Roos did not provide adequate justification for not complying with the committee.

“Mr. Joseph was the president of a company that improperly provided corporate funds for the congresswoman’s campaign, influenced her staff to submit community funding project requests for entities that he supported,” Guest said of the other target.

He said Joseph cited attorney-client privilege in his decision not to comply with the committee, but that lawmakers argued it was not a valid justification to dodge the probe.

INDICTED DEMOCRAT SHEILA CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK REFUSES TO RESIGN AS EXPULSION VOTE LOOMS

Cherfilus-McCormick resigned from Congress earlier this year amid intense pressure from both the left and right. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., had been threatening to push a resolution to expel her at the time.

Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., makes his way to a House Republican Conference meeting with President Donald Trump on the budget reconciliation bill in the U.S. Capitol on May 20, 2025.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

The DOJ said she and her co-defendants “conspired to steal” $5 million in emergency federal funds and used the money to bankroll her 2021 congressional campaign.

EXCLUSIVE: WOMAN WHO STOLE $1.7M MEANT FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS GETS PRISON TIME AS DHS CRACKS DOWN ON FEMA FRAUD

“According to the indictment, Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, and her brother Edwin Cherfilus, 51, both of Miramar, worked through their family healthcare company on a FEMA-funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract in 2021. In July 2021, the company received an overpayment of $5 million in FEMA funds,” the DOJ said in November 2025. “Prosecutors allege that a substantial portion of the misappropriated funds was used as candidate contributions to Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign and for the personal benefit of the defendants.”

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She has pleaded not guilty.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com