Key Takeaways
- Major Corruption Allegations: Federal prosecutors say Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother stole a $5 million FEMA overpayment, routing it through multiple accounts to hide where the money came from.
- Campaign Finance Scheme Exposed: DOJ claims portions of the stolen funds were funneled into her 2021 campaign using straw donors arranged by a staffer, with multiple co-conspirators now facing serious prison time.
- Growing Ethical Scrutiny: The congresswoman was already under investigation for potential ethics violations, and conservative watchdogs had flagged the FEMA overpayment case months before the indictment.
A Florida Democrat is in hot water after a federal grand jury handed down an indictment accusing Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of stealing $5 million in FEMA funds and funneling part of it into her own political campaign. The Justice Department revealed the charges Wednesday, marking one of the most stunning cases of alleged public corruption to surface in years.
Prosecutors say the trouble began in July 2021, when Cherfilus-McCormick’s health care company — where she served as CEO — received an accidental $5 million overpayment tied to a FEMA staffing contract for COVID-19 vaccinations. Instead of returning the taxpayers’ money, the government alleges she and her brother, Edwin, “conspired to steal” it, moving the cash through a maze of accounts to “disguise” its origin.
Attorney General Pam Bondi did not hold back. “Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” she said. “No one is above the law, least of all powerful people who rob taxpayers for personal gain.”
If convicted, Cherfilus-McCormick faces more than 50 years in prison, though her status as a first-time offender could lead to a lighter sentence. Her brother could get up to 35 years. The congresswoman and her tax preparer, David Spencer, also face charges for allegedly conspiring to file a false federal tax return. Meanwhile, a staffer, Nadege Leblanc, is accused of orchestrating straw donations using friends and relatives to make FEMA money look like legitimate campaign cash.
Florida authorities had already sued the congresswoman’s company last year over the same overpayment, but the case quietly settled in mediation. Conservative watchdog groups had been sounding alarms for months, and the Office of Congressional Ethics recently found she may have violated House rules by seeking earmarks for a for-profit entity.
Once again, transparency and accountability are doing the job Washington too often refuses to do: exposing corruption where it counts.