Federal prosecutors charged Florida Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick with orchestrating a scheme to keep a $5 million federal overpayment made to her family’s health care company during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the indictment unsealed Wednesday, the payment was made in 2021 to Trinity Healthcare Services through a contract funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support vaccination efforts, The company was led by Cherfilus-McCormick at the time. Prosecutors say the company improperly retained the inflated payment and routed portions of it through a series of transfers that ultimately benefited the congresswoman’s special-election campaign. The charges also include allegations of false tax filings, with prosecutors asserting that campaign-related and personal expenses were misrepresented as deductible business costs. Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the alleged conduct while announcing the case. “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. We will follow the facts in this case and deliver justice.” Cherfilus-McCormick, who represents Florida’s 20th District in Broward and Palm Beach counties, entered Congress after winning a special election to replace the late Rep. Alcee Hastings. The congresswoman has denied any wrongdoing. “This is an unjust, baseless, sham indictment and I am innocent. The timing alone is curious and clearly meant to distract from far more pressing national issues. From day one, I have fully cooperated with every lawful request, and I will continue to do so until this matter is resolved,” she said in a statement. Start your day with essential news from Salon. Sign up for our free morning newsletter, Crash Course. The criminal case adds to several ongoing inquiries involving the congresswoman and Trinity Healthcare. State officials in Florida sued the company last year, claiming it overbilled the state by nearly $5. 8 million for pandemic-response work and refused repayment after the overcharges were identified. Separately, the Office of Congressional Ethics reported earlier this year that Cherfilus-McCormick’s income rose sharply in 2021, tied largely to payments from Trinity, and that she “made payments to a state political action committee which may have been in connection with her campaign for federal office.” That report prompted the House Ethics Committee in July to extend an internal investigation into her finances and campaign activity. If convicted, Cherfilus-McCormick could face up to 53 years in prison.
https://www.salon.com/2025/11/20/florida-rep-cherfilus-mccormick-charged-with-stealing-5-million-from-fema/
Florida Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick charged with stealing $5 million from FEMA
