Democratic U.S. House Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who serves a district in South Florida, greets Vice President Kamala Harris at Miami International Airport on Aug. 1, 2022. File photo by Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/UPI | License Photo
Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a U.S. House member serving the 20th congressional district in South Florida, was indicted by a federal jury in Miami for stealing $5 million in disaster relief funds and illegal campaign contributions.
Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, elected in 2021, has been investigated by a Florida state agency and the Office of Congressional Ethics regarding the use of the funds.
The federal indictment, announced Wednesday by the Department of Justice, accuses her of “stealing federal disaster funds, laundering the proceeds and using the money to support her 2021 congressional campaign.”
Cherfilus-McCormick faces up to 53 years in prison, prosecutors said. She is accused with her 2021 tax preparer David Spencer, 41, of conspiring to file a false federal tax return.
Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother Edwin Cherfilus, 51, received a COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract from the Federal Emergency Management Agency through their family healthcare company in 2021, the indictment said.
They had a $5 million overpayment that July.
They allegedly conspired to steal that money and routed it through multiple accounts to disguise its source, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors allege 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.
She is accused of working with another defendant, Nadege Leblanc, 46, of using the FEMA funds in a straw donor scheme.
Prosecutors said they “falsely claimed political spending and other personal expenses as business deductions and inflated charitable contributions in order to reduce her tax obligations.”
“Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in the news release. “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.”
Edwin Cherfilus faces up to 35 years, Leblanc up to 10 years and Spencer up to 33 years in prison.
Cherfilus-McCormick took office on Jan. 18, 2022, and succeeded Democrat Rep. Alcee Hastings, who died on April 6, 2021. The seat was vacant for nine months as Gov. Ron DeSantis delayed calling for a special election to replace Hastings, who was in the House for 28 years.
She won the primary by five votes over Broward County Commissioner Dave Holness on Nov. 2, 2021, and the general election with 78.7% on Jan. 11, 2022.
She was re-elected in November 2022 with 72% of the vote and didn’t have a challenger in the 2024 general election.
“While in office, Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick remains committed to tackling the growing housing crisis, inadequate access to quality healthcare, and lack of equitable opportunities throughout our district and country,” the House website says.
Her district straddles Broward and Palm Beach Counties, including portions of Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. It is the only majority-Black congressional district of the 28 in Florida.
“Today’s indictment shows no one is above the law,” U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said. “This indictment reflects our office’s commitment to follow the facts, apply the law, and protect the American taxpayer. 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.”
FBI Miami and the IRS-CI Florida Field Office are investigating the case.
Cherfilus-McCormicke “is a committed public servant, who is dedicated to her constituents. We will fight to clear her good name,” her legal team said in a statement to NBC News.
In 2022, Cherfilus-McCormick filed a defamation lawsuit against her campaign opponent, Dale Holness, who accused her of embezzlement to win the seat.
In December 2024, the Florida Division of Emergency Management sued the company, saying it overcharged the state by nearly $5.8 million for work done during the pandemic and wouldn’t give the money back. In June, Trinity Healthcare Services agreed to pay the agency approximately $5.6 million over the next several years.
The Office of Congressional Ethics said in report in January that her income in 2021 was more than $6 million higher than in 2020 with $5.75 million in consulting and profit-sharing fees received from Trinity.
The OCE is an independent, nonpartisan office that reviews allegations of misconduct.
After the report was released, Cherfilus-McCormick told Politico in a statement that the committee’s “referral for further review does not imply that any violation has occurred.”
In July, the House Ethics Committee unanimously voted to reauthorize an investigative subcommittee to examine the allegations.
She was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and moved to South Florida when she was 13.
Cherfilus-McCormick earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and government from Howard University and a Juris Doctor from the St. Thomas University School of Law.
She was project manager for the New York City Transit Authority then worked for Trinity Health Care Services, cofounded by her stepfather, Gabriel Smith.
Cherfilus-McCormick married lawyer Corlie McCormick in 2017.
