The House unanimously voted on Tuesday to hold North Miami Beach Mayor Michael Joseph and Hector Roos in contempt of Congress after they refused to cooperate with an ethics investigation tied to Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. The vote moved the matter toward the Department of Justice, which will decide whether to pursue criminal charges.
House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest said the two men “willfully fail to comply with multiple subpoenas issued by the committee.” He said their conduct blocked the investigative subcommittee’s work on allegations involving former Representative Cherfilus-McCormick, and said those allegations included federal law violations to which Roos and Joseph were party.
Michael Guest and the subpoenas
Guest said, “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.”
He also 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.”
Mark DeSaulnier on House process
Rep. Mark DeSaulnier said, “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.” He added, “A witness who refuses to cooperate with the Ethics Committee hinders the thoroughness and swiftness of an investigation.”
The House approved the contempt measure by voice vote on Tuesday afternoon, and no lawmaker objected or called for a roll call. That leaves no individual vote count on the record, even as the chamber used unanimous consent-like speed to advance a step that can lead to referral for criminal enforcement.
DOJ referral and penalties
For Joseph and Roos, the practical consequence is a possible DOJ review of contempt of Congress charges. A conviction can carry a fine of up to $100,000 and up to a year in jail, which gives the referral immediate legal weight beyond the House proceeding itself.
Guest also said Hector Roos filed inaccurate reports with the Federal Election Commission while working for Cherfilus-McCormick. The Ethics Committee’s subpoenas and the contempt vote place the focus on whether the men will face criminal exposure for refusing to cooperate, not on the underlying allegations themselves.
