The House Ethics Adjudicatory Subcommittee held a rare hearing on proceedings against Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), who faced federal charges, including conspiracy to steal $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds, money laundering, and campaign finance violations. The House Ethics Committee's investigation into Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick began in September 2023. Her attorney, William Barzee, testified that proceedings should be paused until the criminal case in Florida was complete, arguing his client was constitutionally entitled to a fair trial without biasing a jury pool. He also said he had been her attorney for only a couple of weeks and needed more time to prepare. Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick was in attendance as was her political opponent in the Florida primaries, Elijah Manley (D). This portion contains the first part of the hearing before the subcommittee recessed to consider whether to accept the lawyer's request to put the House investigation on hold.