U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat representing Florida’s 20th District, has been indicted on charges alleging she stole $5 million in federal disaster relief funds and used a portion of the money to aid her 2021 congressional campaign.
The charges were announced by the Justice Department on Wednesday. Federal prosecutors accuse Cherfilus-McCormick of illicitly diverting Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) overpayments that her family’s healthcare company, Trinity Healthcare Services, had received through a federally funded contract for COVID-19 vaccination staffing.
Prosecutors allege that a segment of these funds was then funneled to support her campaign through candidate contributions.
Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a strong statement condemning the alleged actions: “Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime. 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.”
This indictment follows previous financial scrutiny involving the company, for which Cherfilus-McCormick served as CEO at the time of the alleged overpayments.
In December 2024, a Florida state agency sued Trinity Healthcare Services, asserting the company had overcharged the state by nearly $5.8 million for pandemic-related work, specifically for registering people for COVID-19 vaccinations.
Furthermore, both the Office of Congressional Ethics and the House Ethics Committee have been involved, with the OCE reporting in January that Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 income had significantly increased, driven by large consulting and profit-sharing fees from Trinity.
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