Democrat Faces Ouster From Congress Over Federal Charges, Ethics Findings
The House Ethics Committee has found that Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick violated campaign finance laws and other regulations by receiving more than $5 million in federal relief funds and directing a significant portion of that money toward political activities.
An eight-member subcommittee voted early Friday that Cherfilus-McCormick was guilty on 25 of 27 counts related to the case, following a rare public proceeding that lasted more than six hours the previous evening, the New York Post reported on Friday.
“Shortly after the House returns from the April recess, the full Committee will hold a hearing to determine what, if any, sanction would be appropriate for the Committee to recommend,” Ethics Chairman Michael Guest (R-Miss.) and Ranking Member Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.) said in a joint statement.
The subcommittee’s findings could lead to a recommendation that the full House censure or potentially expel Cherfilus-McCormick from Congress.
The panel, composed of four Democrats and four Republicans, did not release a detailed vote breakdown. However, members from both parties questioned Cherfilus-McCormick’s defense during the hearing.
Her attorney, William Barzee, sought to delay the proceedings, citing an upcoming federal trial in which she is expected to face charges related to many of the same allegations.
In November 2025, federal prosecutors indicted Cherfilus-McCormick on 15 counts tied to allegations that she misused $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds to support her congressional campaign, The Post noted.
Prosecutors allege that some of the funds were used for personal expenses, including the purchase of a 3.14-carat yellow diamond ring. If convicted on all counts, the 47-year-old could face up to 53 years in prison.
During Thursday’s hearing Barzee raised concerns that any findings by the Ethics Committee could influence the potential jury pool ahead of the federal trial.
“She’s absolutely innocent. She’s looking forward to being in criminal court in order to prove her innocence, which I’m confident she’s going to be able to do,” he told the subcommittee members, claiming further that any determination in the House “will result in a loss of her constitutional rights.”
One of the counts not supported by a majority of the subcommittee involved allegations of money laundering intended to conceal the source of funds from a Florida-based corporation to Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2022 congressional campaign.
Another money laundering count was upheld, involving millions of dollars in federal funds paid to a for-profit health care company owned by members of the congresswoman’s family. According to House ethics findings, the company was involved in efforts tied to COVID-19 vaccination registration in Florida.
Between 2020 and 2021, Cherfilus-McCormick’s reported $86,000 salary from Trinity Health Care Solutions remained unchanged, even as the company received more than $6 million in government funding related to vaccination efforts, noted the outlet.
A House ethics report released in January found that at least $5.7 million of that funding was directed to a consulting firm that Cherfilus-McCormick wholly owned between March 2021 and October 2022, when the firm was voluntarily dissolved, The Post reported.
Last summer, the committee found that far-left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez broke House ethics rules by accepting more than $3,700 in gifts for her appearance at the 2021 Met Gala — including the now-infamous “Tax The Rich” dress — but paid less than $1,000 for the items.
The found that the New York Democrat failed to follow House rules on gifts and improperly gave her boyfriend, Riley Roberts, a free ticket to the exclusive $35,000-per-head event, The New York Post reported at the time. But the panel stopped short of issuing any formal sanctions.
According to the committee, the fair-market value of the rented Brother Vellies dress, shoes, jewelry, handbag, and hairpiece totaled $3,724.04.
Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign delayed payments for months and eventually paid just $990.76 — most of it from her own pocket.
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Kenny Rogers Spent Four Days Losing Faith in a Song. Dolly Parton Changed It in Forty Minutes.
Kenny Rogers had been singing the same song for four days.
Finally, he told producer Barry Gibb he didn’t even like it anymore.
Gibb’s answer was immediate: they needed Dolly Parton.
Then Rogers’s manager mentioned he had just seen her downstairs.
The person who could change the recording was already nearby.
Parton joined him, and the song acquired something Rogers hadn’t found singing alone. He later recalled that within forty minutes, it had taken on a completely different personality.
That song was “Islands in the Stream.”
Listen to how their voices meet. Rogers brings that warm, weathered calm; Parton adds brightness and lift. When they reach the chorus together, the recording opens up.
Their chemistry made the duet sound inevitable.
Its creation had been anything but.
Released in 1983, it reached No. 1 on both the American pop and country charts. The collaboration also began a close friendship that lasted for decades.
Rogers remembered Parton lighting up the song. What had become exhausting work turned into the beginning of a musical partnership.
Before her arrival, he had spent four days trying to make the recording work.
Afterward, millions would find it difficult to imagine either voice singing it alone.
The Anthem That Ruled the '70s: Linda Ronstadt's Journey to Pop-Rock Royalty
The Linda Ronstadt Hit That Redefined Women in Rock
Released in late 1974, Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good” became the breakthrough that transformed her into one of America’s biggest rock stars. Originally written by Clint Ballard Jr. and previously recorded by Dee Dee Warwick and Betty Everett, the song found its definitive voice when producer Peter Asher helped Ronstadt reinvent it with a bold rock arrangement. Powered by a brooding bassline, sweeping strings, and Andrew Gold’s unforgettable guitar solo, the single climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1975, becoming Ronstadt’s first chart-topping hit and launching her landmark album Heart Like a Wheel.
Ronstadt’s commanding vocal balanced heartbreak, defiance, and liberation with remarkable intensity. Her emotionally charged performance helped break new ground for female artists in rock, proving they could lead with both vulnerability and strength while commanding mainstream radio.
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Strength in Separation: The 1974 Masterpiece That Redefined the Breakup Song
Released in 1974, this ballad wasn't a tearful breakdown, but rather the quietest, most resilient goodbye ever recorded.
Released in 1974, Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” arrived at a defining moment when the singer was ready to forge her own musical destiny.
It wasn’t simply another country single; it felt like a turning point where profound gratitude, inner conflict, and a fierce desire for independence all collided into something sharper and incredibly tender.
From the very first acoustic guitar strum—stark, slow, and unadorned—the song sets a tone that feels both mournful and resolute, as if the singer is holding back a heavy sigh.
That quiet tension became the heartbeat of the track, pulling listeners into a space where love isn't about possession, but rather the graceful act of letting go.
At its core, “I Will Always Love You” is about the quiet courage it takes to walk away.
Unlike typical tear-soaked country ballads of the era, the track is a promise, an acknowledgment that even though paths must diverge, the deep appreciation for the other person will never fade.
Written by Parton as a professional and personal farewell to her longtime mentor and duet partner, Porter Wagoner, the track carries a fragility that reflects the heavy toll of choosing between loyalty and her own artistic evolution.
That evolution is unmistakable here, with stripped-down production that steps back to let raw emotional honesty take center stage.
Parton’s vocal performance plays a crucial role. Her voice doesn’t explode with rage or theatrical agony; instead, it trembles gently while maintaining a remarkable composure, letting the heartbreak bleed through line by line.
“If I should stay
I would only be in your way
So I'll go, but I know
I'll think of you each step of the way”
As the chorus arrives, it doesn’t offer a dramatic climax so much as it deepens the sense of acceptance. The phrase “I will always love you” becomes less of a romantic cliché and more of a heavy, heartfelt blessing.
Musically, the restraint of the instrumentation creates an expansive, lonely atmosphere, leaving Parton’s delicate soprano suspended in the memories of what was.
That masterful storytelling cemented Parton not just as a stellar vocalist, but as one of the greatest songwriters of her generation. When the single reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, it confirmed that absolute vulnerability resonated deeply with a wide audience.
Yet beyond its chart success, the song carried a mood that felt deeply personal.
It spoke to listeners who understood the agonizing difficulty of leaving something beautiful behind in order to move forward.
Decades later, even as the world rightfully marvels at Whitney Houston’s powerhouse R&B rendition, Parton’s acoustic original retains its pure, devastating core. It reminds us of those quiet, sleepless nights when we realize that the ultimate act of love is sometimes simply setting someone free.
As the final notes fade, the song doesn’t leave behind regret, but rather a quiet peace.
“I Will Always Love You” lingers not because it offers a tidy resolution, but because it captures a fleeting moment of profound maturity.
In the end, Dolly didn’t just write a hit—she built a monument to the most beautiful kind of heartbreak, and its quiet echo continues to resonate through time.
