MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Another member of Congress has resigned, the third since last Monday. That makes two Democrats and one Republican who have stepped down, all facing the threat of expulsion for alleged misconduct. NPR congressional reporter Sam Gringlas is covering this, and he's with us now. Good morning, Sam.
SAM GRINGLAS, BYLINE: Hey, Michel.
MARTIN: So who resigned Tuesday?
GRINGLAS: Yeah. That's Florida Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. She's under indictment for allegedly using millions in disaster relief money to help fund her campaign. She has denied those allegations. But the House Ethics Committee had found her responsible for more than two dozen violations, and she resigned just as the Ethics Committee was set to recommend sanctions against her.
MARTIN: I think most people remember because this was covered extensively - that California Democrat Eric Swalwell and Texas Republican Tony Gonzales were both accused of sexual misconduct involving staffers. They both resigned. But now you're saying there is a fourth lawmaker who is under some scrutiny. Who is that? Like, what's the story there?
GRINGLAS: Yeah. This is Florida Republican Cory Mills. And he is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for, quote, "sexual misconduct and/or dating violence allegations," as well as potential campaign finance violations. And, you know, he has told reporters in recent days that he did nothing wrong and has no reason to resign.
MARTIN: But - and these misconduct allegations - they don't involve congressional staffers, I take it.
GRINGLAS: That's right.
MARTIN: So all four of these members were facing possible expulsion. That's extremely rare, but say more about that, if you would.
GRINGLAS: Yeah. So had Congress moved to expel all four of these members, that would've been more than in the past 165 years combined. Most expulsions happened during the Civil War to remove lawmakers supporting the Confederacy. But, you know, generally, lawmakers are really hesitant to undo the preferences of voters. Often embattled members, though, will just resign rather than face expulsion. But former Republican Congressman Charlie Dent, who chaired the House Ethics Committee, told me some lawmakers now seem to have learned from President Trump to just never admit wrongdoing. And so they hang on longer than they might've in a past era.
CHARLIE DENT: Members would resign because they felt shame. If you don't feel shame and you're not embarrassed, you're not going to care what people say about you.
GRINGLAS: The Ethics Committee opened investigations into all four of these members. But in all four cases, we also saw rank-and-file members threatening to force expulsion votes before the committee had finished their work and without the blessing of their congressional leadership, and that seems to be a departure here.
MARTIN: Would you say more about that? It just seems that some members are more eager now to reprimand their colleagues. Just say more about that. Like, why is that, and what mechanisms are they using to advance their arguments?
GRINGLAS: Yeah. Well, ethics cases move really slowly. Sometimes they take years, and Dent says members do deserve due process. And as investigators turn over more stones, you know, these probes can quickly expand. But some members of Congress say that this institution is not acting swiftly enough to deal with bad behavior. And many backbench members now have these big platforms via social media that empower them to act on their own, whether to address real misconduct or, in some cases, just to score political points. Georgetown University's Matthew Glassman told me that also means the public is more tuned in.
MATTHEW GLASSMAN: There's a widespread belief that members of Congress don't have to follow the same rules or can get away with things. And, you know, when these scandals come to light, that feeds that perception. And when the House doesn't do anything about it, it feeds that perception.
GRINGLAS: Responding to criticism, the House Ethics Committee published a letter this week saying it's dedicated to ensuring that any individuals responsible for misconduct are held responsible.
MARTIN: So the stakes for individuals - very high here, also apparently for the institution. But are there other things that the lawmakers are weighing?
GRINGLAS: Well, for one, the margins in the House are very slim right now. But, you know, when a member's alleged behavior jeopardizes the standing of the party or the institution, lawmakers may decide that pushing them out in one way or another is worth the risk.
MARTIN: That's NPR's Sam Gringlas. Sam, thank you.
GRINGLAS: Thanks, Michel. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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