US Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida indicted on charges of stealing $5M in disaster funds
MIAMI (AP) — U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida has been charged with stealing $5 million in federal disaster funds and using some of the money to help her 2021 campaign, the Justice Department said Wednesday.
Federal prosecutors say the Democrat is accused of stealing overpayments the Federal Emergency Management Agency family health company received through a federally funded COVID-19 vaccine staffing contract. Prosecutors allege some of the money was diverted to support his campaign through candidate contributions.
“Using disaster relief funds to enrich oneself is a particularly selfish and cynical crime,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “No one is above the law, especially powerful individuals who fleece taxpayers for personal gain. We will follow the facts and deliver justice in this case.”
A telephone message left at Cherfilus-McCormick’s Washington office was not immediately answered.
Cherfilus-McCormick was first elected to Congress in 2022 in the 20th District, which represents parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties, in a special election following the death of Rep. Alcee Hastings in 2021.
Sometime in December 2024 Florida state agency files lawsuit A company owned by the Cherfilus-McCormick family said it was overcharged by nearly $5.8 million from the government for work done during the pandemic and will not give the money back.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management says it made a series of overpayments after it hired Trinity Health Services to register people for COVID-19 vaccines in 2021. The agency said it discovered the problem after a $5 million overpayment came to attention.
Cherfilus-McCormick was Trinity’s CEO at the time.
The Office of Congressional Ethics said: January report Cherfilus-McCormick’s revenue in 2021 was $6 million higher than in 2020, driven by consulting and profit-sharing fees of approximately $5.75 million from Trinity Healthcare Services.
Parliamentary Ethics Committee in July voted unanimously Reauthorize an investigative subcommittee to review allegations regarding Cherfilus-McCormick.
