US Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida has been indicted on federal charges accusing her of stealing $5 million in federal disaster funds and using some of the money to support her 2021 congressional campaign, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
The Democrat is accused of stealing Federal Emergency Management Agency overpayments that her family healthcare company had received through a federally funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract, federal prosecutors stated. A portion of the money was then funneled to support her campaign through candidate contributions, prosecutors allege.
“Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” Attorney General Pam Bondi stated. “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.”
A phone message left at Cherfilus-McCormick’s Washington office was not immediately returned.
Cherfilus-McCormick was first elected to Congress in 2022 in the 20th District, representing parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties, in a special election after Representative Alcee Hastings died in 2021.
In December 2024, a Florida state agency sued a company owned by Cherfilus-McCormick’s family, stating it overcharged the state by nearly $5.8 million for work done during the pandemic and would not return the money.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management indicated it made a series of overpayments to Trinity Healthcare Services after hiring it in 2021 to register people for COVID-19 vaccinations. The agency stated it discovered the problem after a single $5 million overpayment drew attention.
Cherfilus-McCormick was the CEO of Trinity at the time.
The Office of Congressional Ethics stated in a January report that Cherfilus-McCormick’s income in 2021 was more than $6 million higher than in 2020, driven by nearly $5.75 million in consulting and profit-sharing fees received from Trinity Healthcare Services.
In July, the House Ethics Committee unanimously voted to reauthorise an investigative subcommittee to examine allegations involving Cherfilus-McCormick.
The federal indictment of Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick on charges of stealing $5 million in FEMA disaster funds represents one of the most serious corruption cases involving a sitting member of Congress, alleging she diverted federal emergency money intended for pandemic response to enrich herself personally and finance her successful campaign for office.
The charges describe a scheme where Cherfilus-McCormick allegedly exploited her dual roles as CEO of Trinity Healthcare Services and congressional candidate to convert government overpayments into personal wealth and campaign resources, demonstrating the potential for conflicts of interest when elected officials maintain financial stakes in companies receiving government contracts.
The accusation that FEMA overpayments were funneled into campaign contributions raises complex legal questions about campaign finance violations, theft of government funds, and potentially other charges related to false statements or wire fraud if electronic transfers were used to move the allegedly stolen money.
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s characterisation of using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment as “particularly selfish” and “cynical” reflects the heightened public outrage that typically accompanies corruption cases involving emergency funds, as these resources are specifically allocated to help communities and individuals recover from catastrophic events like pandemics, hurricanes, or other disasters.
The timeline of the alleged scheme, occurring during 2021 when Cherfilus-McCormick was simultaneously serving as Trinity Healthcare Services CEO and running for Congress following Representative Alcee Hastings’ death, suggests she may have viewed the FEMA contract as an opportunity to generate income that could be redirected toward financing her special election campaign.
