A Miami grand jury indicted Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) for her alleged involvement in a fraudulent scheme to misappropriate Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds, the Department of Justice confirmed on Wednesday. The indictment accuses Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick of conspiring with her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, and other co-defendants to redirect $5 million designated for disaster relief efforts.
According to federal prosecutors, the funds were moved through various accounts to obscure their original source. It is alleged that a significant amount of the diverted money was used for illicit campaign contributions in support of Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign, with additional funds purportedly spent on personal expenses.
If convicted on all counts, the congresswoman could face a prison term of up to 53 years. Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized the seriousness of the allegations, stating that exploiting disaster relief funds for personal enrichment represents a particularly cynical crime and a betrayal of public trust.
The Department of Justice's indictment detailed how the congresswoman and her brother allegedly exploited their roles within a family-owned healthcare company that secured a FEMA-funded contract to provide staffing for COVID-19 vaccinations in 2021. The indictment posits that the company received an overpayment of $5 million in FEMA funds in July 2021, which, instead of being returned, was allegedly kept and used for prohibited activities.
FBI Director Kash Patel publicly addressed the charges, stating on the social media platform X that Cherfilus-McCormick and her family "allegedly stole money from FEMA and then laundered it through friends toward her own personal benefits – including her campaign accounts." The statement was part of a broader effort to assure the public that the FBI and the Justice Department are committed to holding all individuals accountable under the law.
The indictment further claims that Cherfilus-McCormick collaborated with Nadege Leblanc to organize a straw donor scheme, funneling money from the FEMA-funded contract to associates who then contributed to her campaign.
In response to the indictment, Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) announced his intention to file a motion to censure Cherfilus-McCormick and remove her from her committee assignments. He expressed that the alleged actions represent an egregious abuse of public trust and stated the importance of accountability within the House of Representatives.
This is not Cherfilus-McCormick's first encounter with campaign finance scrutiny. In 2023, the House Ethics Committee investigated allegations of campaign finance violations related to her 2022 election campaign. Despite the preceding investigation, Cherfilus-McCormick was re-elected for a third term in Congress in 2024 and currently holds positions on the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
