Democratic Rep Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Indicted Over ‘Stealing’ FEMA Funds

A federal grand jury charged Democratic Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick on Wednesday with siphoning off millions in taxpayer-funded disaster aid and allegedly channeling the money into her 2021 congressional bid.

The Federal Election Commission opened a probe into Cherfilus-McCormick in September after complaints accused her 2021 campaign of concealing in-kind contributions tied to her family and consultant Mark Goodrich. Prosecutors say Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, and her brother Edwin Cherfilus, 51, diverted a $5 million Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) overpayment, allegedly stealing the funds through their family healthcare company during a COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract.

They allegedly moved the money through a network of accounts to obscure its origin, then used a substantial share of the cash to bankroll her special-election campaign and cover personal expenses, according to the release. The indictment also alleges that Cherfilus-McCormick and co-defendant Nadege Leblanc arranged a straw-donor scheme, routing additional FEMA-funded contract money to friends and relatives who then made campaign contributions under their own names.

Prosecutors further accuse Cherfilus-McCormick and tax preparer David K. Spencer of conspiring to file a fraudulent 2021 federal tax return by disguising political spending and personal purchases as business deductions and inflating charitable donations to shrink her tax bill.

“Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said. “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.”

U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said the charges highlight the government’s duty to protect federal disaster relief money.