The House Ethics Committee has formally recommended that North Miami Beach Mayor Michael Joseph be held in contempt of Congress following what they allege was his repeated refusal to cooperate with an ongoing congressional investigation of former Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.
In a report submitted to the House of Representatives last month, House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest detailed Joseph's failure to comply with multiple congressional mandates. The subpoenas, originally issued on September 11, 2025, sought both documents and testimony regarding an investigation into allegations concerning Cherfilus-McCormick.
Cherfilus-McCormick resigned from Congress in April only hours before the House of Representatives was to formally discipline her as part of House ethics investigation into her use of campaign funds. She's also facing federal criminal charges accusing her of stealing $5 million in coronavirus disaster relief funds. She is one of several candidates running for the same South Florida seat, the 20th District, in Congress.
READ MORE: South Florida Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigns amid ethics investigation
According to the House Ethics Committee report, the panel's Investigative Subcommittee unanimously adopted findings regarding Joseph's non-compliance earlier this year. Upon reviewing the records, the full Ethics Committee concluded that Joseph "willfully failed to comply with multiple subpoenas issued by the Committee, impeding the ISC's investigation."
“The Ethics report is inaccurate. I cooperated with their investigation as required under the law,” Joseph said in a statement to Miami Herald, a WLRN news partner. “My attorneys have contacted the House Ethics Committee to correct the record and rescind their report and recommendation.”
The panel strongly condemned Joseph's defiance, stating that it aligned with the subcommittee's conclusion that his conduct is "egregious and warrants referral to the U.S. Department of Justice for contempt of Congress."
As part of its recommendation, the Committee put forward a formal House Resolution. The measure seeks to officially find Joseph in contempt for failing to comply with a subpoena for documents as well as a subpoena for live testimony.
If approved by the full House, the resolution will direct the Speaker of the House to "certify the Report of the Committee on Ethics... to the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia." This certification ensures that Joseph will "be proceeded against in the manner and form provided by law."
The report concludes by recommending that the House approve the resolution, signaling that the Speaker should "otherwise take all appropriate action to enforce the subpoenas" to protect the integrity of congressional oversight.
The House leadership earlier this week abruptly canceled votes and sent lawmakers home early for the July 4 recess and is not supposed to return until midway through the month.
