Poli Alert Politics & Civics
Related Articles
Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida was indicted Wednesday on allegations that she helped steal millions of dollars in federal emergency funds and covertly routed some of that money into her congressional campaign, the Justice Department said.
According to federal prosecutors, the alleged scheme dates back to 2021, when Trinity Healthcare Services — a company Cherfilus-McCormick ran before entering Congress — was mistakenly overpaid $5 million on a FEMA-funded contract related to COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Investigators say Cherfilus-McCormick and unnamed co-defendants then “conspired to steal” the money by moving it through multiple accounts.
Prosecutors allege that a portion of those funds was used to support her House campaign through a “straw donor” network, in which money was funneled to friends and relatives who then contributed to her campaign to avoid legal donation limits.
“Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said. “No one is above the law, least of all powerful people who rob taxpayers for personal gain.”
The Justice Department did not list the specific charges in its public statement, and no indictment had appeared in the federal court database by Wednesday evening.
Cherfilus-McCormick forcefully denied wrongdoing.
“This is an unjust, baseless, sham indictment — and I am innocent,” she said in a statement to CBS News. “The timing alone is curious and clearly meant to distract from far more pressing national issues. From day one, I have cooperated with every lawful request … I remain confident that the truth will prevail.”
Her legal team called the congresswoman “a committed public servant” and vowed to “fight to clear her good name.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he plans to speak with Cherfilus-McCormick before issuing a formal response but emphasized: “She’s innocent until proven guilty.”
The allegations come after a separate Florida state lawsuit earlier this year accused Trinity Healthcare Services of knowingly keeping the same $5 million overpayment. The Florida Department of Emergency Management said Trinity had been contracted to register residents for COVID-19 vaccinations and was supposed to receive a $50,000 payment — but was instead wired $5 million due to a clerical error.
State officials said the company refused to return the money. Trinity countered that the state waited three years to raise the issue and that the company had tried to resolve the dispute. The case was dismissed following mediation.
Cherfilus-McCormick has also faced an inquiry from the House Ethics Committee, which reviewed whether she sought federal community project funds for a for-profit entity. The outcome of that investigation has not been publicly announced.
The South Florida Democrat, first elected in 2022, represents the state’s 20th Congressional District, a safely Democratic seat that includes parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties. It remains unclear whether she will step aside from committee assignments or face calls to resign.
