SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Freddie Freeman spent the past couple of days immersing himself as a new father of four, figuring out how to change diapers as a first-time girl dad after daughter London joined the world and three big brothers.
Freeman returned to the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers from the paternity list on Tuesday night for the opener of a three-game series at San Francisco, back in the lineup at first base and batting third.
“It was awesome, I got to hold her one last time before I got on a plane this afternoon,” Freeman said. “She's perfect, everything we had hoped for. She is everything we could ask for. You will not be seeing another baby announcement from the Freemans, this is it, we are happily done with four. She is the perfect addition.”
Freeman quickly switched gears to baseball, drilling on grounders with first-base coach Chris Woodward in front of the Dodgers' dugout at Oracle Park after taking some swings off a tee in his backyard at home Monday.
Daughter London Rosemary Joy Freeman was born Sunday and went home Monday. Freeman praised the surrogate who carried and delivered the baby for him and wife Chelsea — and the proud mom posted a family photo on her Instagram account. The name London is for Chelsea's English heritage while Rosemary Joy is in honor of Freeman's late mother with the same name.
The 36-year-old Freeman is batting .296 with three home runs and 14 RBIs in 20 games this season. Freeman and baby London watched the Dodgers' 12-3 win at Colorado on Monday.
“I know he's happy to be back, happy that his baby girl is healthy," manager Dave Roberts said.
Freeman was thrilled for Ryan Ward to make his major league debut and get two hits playing first base Sunday against the Rockies in his place at last after spending seven years in the minors.
“I am happy. I got to know Ryan over the last few years,” Freeman said. “He's an incredibly hard worker, he worked so hard for that moment. To go out there and get two hits, an RBI, in his big league debut was special. We all know he can do it so I'm sure there will be another opportunity at some point for him to get back.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman, right, gestures to the bullpen after reaching third base on a triple off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Feltner in the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman reacts after hitting a sacrifice fly off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Jaden Hill in the eighth inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida resigned from office on Tuesday moments before the start of a hearing that could have led to a recommendation that she be expelled from Congress.
Cherfilus-McCormick was the subject of a more than two-year investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which had determined recently that she had violated multiple federal laws and House rules. Support from her own party was increasingly in doubt.
It's the third resignation in a little more than a week from a House lawmaker. Reps. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, and Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, announced within hours of each other that they were leaving Congress. Both men were facing sexual misconduct allegations and possible expulsion.
In a statement, Cherfilus-McCormick said the House committee denied her new attorney's request for more time to prepare a defense. She also said she would not pretend that the investigation had been anything other than a “witch hunt,” and rather than play political games, she would resign, effective immediately.
“But let me say this plainly: we should be very careful about the precedent we are setting in this country, we do not punish people before due process is complete," she said. "We do not allow allegations alone to override the will of the people. That is a dangerous path, and one that should concern every American, regardless of party.”
Cherfilus-McCormick is also facing federal criminal charges accusing her of stealing $5 million in federal disaster funds and using the money to buy items such as a 3-carat yellow diamond ring.
She has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges and says she is not guilty of ethics violations, either.
The allegations against the congresswoman center on how she received millions of dollars from her family’s health care business after Florida mistakenly overpaid the business by roughly $5 million with COVID-19 disaster relief funds. She is accused of using that money to fund her 2022 congressional campaign through a network of businesses and family members.
Cherfilus-McCormick declined to testify during a previous Ethics Committee hearing, citing her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Her attorney, William Barzee, sparred with some of the lawmakers and argued that they should have allowed a thorough ethics trial, at which he could present witnesses and evidence to counter the conclusions of House investigators.
A group of supporters in Cherfilus-McCormick's congressional district had weighed in on her behalf with the lawmakers who lead the Ethics Committee, urging committee leaders to proceed with caution in sanctioning her.
“Our communities deserve stability. Our voices deserve to be heard. And our right to representation must be protected,” said one of the letters signed by about a dozen local faith leaders, union officials and others.
Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, along with other members of the caucus, issued a statement that praised Cherfilus-McCormick's time in Congress. They said Cherfilus-McCormick “worked to uplift her constituents and elevate issues impacting underserved communities at home and abroad.”
“We extend our appreciation for her service and offer our prayers for her and her family," the caucus members said.
In all, the Ethics panel's more than two-year investigation led to the issuance of 59 subpoenas, 28 witness interviews and a review of more than 33,000 pages of documents.
House Democratic leaders had declined to condemn Cherfilus-McCormick, saying they wanted to see the ethics process play out.
Still, leadership had been in conversations with her for weeks, ever since the Ethics committee released its findings, about the situation and the likelihood of an expulsion vote.
The House has historically been reluctant to serve as the final arbiter of a lawmaker’s career, preferring to give that final say to the voters.
Of the six House members expelled, the first three fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War and were expelled for disloyalty. The next two had been convicted of crimes. The final one was George Santos, the scandal-plagued freshman who was the subject of a blistering ethics report on his conduct as well as a federal indictment.
Santos, a New York Republican, served time in prison for ripping off his campaign donors before President Donald Trump granted him clemency, and he has apologized to his former constituents.
Under the Constitution, at least two-thirds of the House has to vote for expulsion for it to occur, a high threshold that requires enormous bipartisan support.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters last week he believed the House would move to expel Cherfilus-McCormick.
“The facts are indisputable at this point," Johnson said.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., took exception to Cherfilus-McCormick's characterization of the Ethics Committee's investigation.
“Well, if you steal money, it's called theft. It's not called a witch hunt, and stealing taxpayer money is not going to be tolerated,” Scalise said.
Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed.
FILE - Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., condemns hate speech and misinformation about Haitian immigrants, at the Capitol in Washington, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
