A federal grand jury in Miami has charged Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus‑McCormick with allegedly misappropriating $5 million in FEMA disaster relief funds intended for COVID‑19 recovery.
The indictment states that 46-year-old Cherfilus-McCormick (R-FL) and her brother Edwin Cherfilus, 51, both worked through their family health-care company on a FEMA-funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract in 2021, with the company receiving an overpayment of $5 million in FEMA funds.
According to the indictment, Cherfilus‑McCormick also allegedly worked alongside Nadege Leblanc to steal the money and funnel it through multiple accounts to conceal its origin, with prosecutors claming that a “substantial portion of the misappropriated funds was used as candidate contributions to Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign and for the personal benefit of the defendants,” according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
The DOJ further claims that these funds were allegedly supplied to “friends and relatives who then donated to the campaign as if using their own money.”
Attorney General Pamela Bondi called the alleged theft “a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” adding that prosecutors will do everything possible to find the truth in this investigation.
“No one is above the law, least of all powerful people who rob taxpayers for personal gain. We will follow the facts in this case and deliver justice,” she added, per the DOJ.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida echoed those statements.
“Today’s indictment shows no one is above the law,” he said.“Public money belongs to the American people. When FEMA funds are diverted for personal or political gain, it erodes trust and harms us all.
“We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that American taxpayer dollars are used as intended and that the public’s trust is safeguarded,” he added, per the DOJ release.
“This is an unjust, baseless, sham indictment — and I am innocent,” Cherfilus-McCormick said in a statement to CBS News. “From day one, I have cooperated with every lawful request, and I will continue to do so until this matter is resolved. I am deeply grateful for the support of my district, and I remain confident that the truth will prevail.
Her legal team also released a statement about the accusations, stating that the representative is a “committed public servant, who is dedicated to her constituents” and the team will “fight to clear her good name,” according to CBS News.
The DOJ states that Cherfilus-McCormick faces up to 53 years in prison if convicted, with Edwin Cherfilus facing 35 years if convicted, and Leblanc facing up to 10 years.
Additionally, David K. Spencer, 41, Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 tax preparer, also faces up to 33 years in prison for allegedly conspiring to file a false federal tax return.
