Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick indicted for allegedly stealing FEMA disaster funds
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A Miami grand jury indicted Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., for stealing millions of dollars in disaster relief funds to make illegal campaign contributions, the Justice Department said Wednesday.
The indictment alleges that the Florida Democrat conspired with his brother Edwin Cherfilus and multiple defendants to steal $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds.
Prosecutors alleged that the defendants diverted funds through multiple accounts to conceal their sources, and that a significant portion of the misappropriated funds were used as candidate contributions to Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign or for personal benefit.
The Democrat could face up to 53 years in prison if convicted.
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Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormic was indicted by a Miami grand jury on Wednesday, Nov. 18, for allegedly stealing $5 million in FEMA funds, according to the Department of Justice. (CQ-Roll Call via Tom Williams/Getty Images)
“Using disaster relief funds to enrich oneself is a particularly selfish and cynical crime,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. he said. “No one is above the law, especially powerful people who fleece taxpayers for personal gain. We will follow the facts and deliver justice in this case.”
According to the indictment, both Cherfilus-McCormick and his brother worked through the family healthcare company on a FEMA-funded COVID-19 vaccine staffing contract in 2021. Prosecutors alleged the company received a $5 million overpayment in FEMA funds in July 2021.
FBI Director Kash Patel was quick to report on
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Attorney General Pam Bondi described the alleged crimes as ‘particularly selfish’. (Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The indictment also alleges that Cherfilus-McCormick and Nadege Leblanc used straw donors to fix contributions and funnel funds from a FEMA-funded COVID-19 contract to their partners, who used them to make campaign donations.
Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., shared that he would introduce a resolution in X to censure Cherfilus-McCormick and remove her from all committees.
“This is one of the most egregious abuses of public trust I have ever seen,” he said.
In an X post, the Florida Republican Party called on Cherfilus-McCormick to resign immediately, writing: “This is absolutely disgusting. She should resign NOW!”
Cherfilus-McCormick’s office did not immediately respond to Fox New News Digital’s request for comment.
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Rep. Steube, R-Fla., said he would introduce a motion to censure Cherfilus-McCormick and remove her from all committees. (Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The Howard University graduate was first subject to an investigation in 2023 by the House Ethics Committee, which is investigating allegations of campaign finance violations connected to the 2022 election.
Cherfilus-McCormi was re-elected to a third term in Congress in 2024. He currently serves on the House Veterans Affairs Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
