A federal grand jury in Miami on Wednesday indicted Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and several co-defendants on charges that they stole about $5 million in FEMA disaster-relief funds and funneled the money into her 2021 congressional campaign, according to the Justice Department. The indictment states that Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, diverted an overpayment tied to a COVID-19 vaccination-staffing contract awarded to their family’s home-health-care company. Prosecutors allege the money was routed through multiple accounts to conceal its origin, with a substantial portion ultimately directed into political contributions. She is also accused of conspiring with her tax preparer to file a false federal tax return. If convicted, she could face up to 53 years in prison, while her brother could receive up to 35 years.
The indictment comes as the congresswoman faces heightened scrutiny over her family company’s pandemic-era finances. Florida’s Division of Emergency Management previously sued Trinity Healthcare Services, alleging the firm overcharged the state by nearly $5.8 million for vaccine registration services and refused to return the funds after a single $5 million overpayment raised alarms. These allegations prompted an ethics investigation into Cherfilus-McCormick’s steep rise in personal income, which jumped by more than $6 million in 2021—largely from $5.75 million in consulting and profit-sharing fees from Trinity. In July, the House Ethics Committee unanimously voted to extend its probe into whether she improperly benefited from government contracts, placing her under bipartisan scrutiny before the federal indictment.
Prosecutors say the defendants created straw-donor schemes by directing friends and relatives to make campaign “donations” with money originating from the FEMA overpayment. The indictment also accuses her and preparer David K. Spencer of mislabeling campaign expenditures and inflating charitable deductions to reduce tax liabilities. Born in Brooklyn, Cherfilus-McCormick holds degrees from Howard University and St. Thomas University School of Law. Before her 2022 special-election win, she led Trinity Health Care Services, now central to the contract dispute. Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the alleged misuse of disaster funds, while her primary challenger Elijah Manley called the indictment a sad moment for Florida’s 20th District.