Overview:
Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has been indicted on costs she stole $5 million in FEMA funds and funneled the cash into her 2021 marketing campaign. The indictment follows a number of authorized and moral challenges, together with a latest defamation lawsuit she filed in opposition to major challenger Elijah Manley.
U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly stealing $5 million in federal emergency funds and utilizing the cash to help her 2021 congressional marketing campaign, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
In line with the U.S. Division of Justice, the congresswoman and several other co-defendants—together with her brother, Edwin Cherfilus—used their household well being care firm to hold out the scheme. Trinity Healthcare Providers, which Cherfilus-McCormick led as CEO, obtained a $5 million overpayment in 2021 by a FEMA-funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract.
Prosecutors allege the cash was rerouted to her coffers by varied accounts to obscure its origins. A good portion was used to finance her marketing campaign through direct contributions and straw donors—associates and family who made donations that had been later reimbursed utilizing the FEMA funds.
”That is an unjust, baseless, sham indictment — and I’m harmless,” Cherfilus-McCormick stated in a press release to The Haitian Occasions. “The timing alone is curious and clearly meant to distract from much more urgent nationwide points.”
Cherfilus-McCormick and her tax preparer, David Ok. Spencer, additionally allegedly filed a false federal tax return that labeled political and private spending as enterprise bills and overstated charitable donations.
“Utilizing catastrophe reduction funds for self-enrichment is a very egocentric, cynical crime,” Lawyer Basic Pamela Bondi stated in a press release. “Nobody is above the legislation, least of all highly effective individuals who rob taxpayers for private achieve.”
The congresswoman might resist 53 years in jail if convicted. Her brother faces as much as 35 years, and two others additionally charged within the indictment—Nadege Leblanc and Spencer—resist 10 and 33 years, respectively.
The indictment provides to a collection of ongoing authorized and moral challenges for the 46-year-old Democrat, who has represented Florida’s twentieth Congressional District since successful a particular election in 2022 following the demise of longtime Rep. Alcee Hastings.
In December 2024, Florida’s Division of Emergency Administration sued Trinity Healthcare Providers, alleging the corporate overcharged the state by almost $5.8 million through the pandemic and refused to return the cash. The Workplace of Congressional Ethics reported in January that Cherfilus-McCormick’s revenue spiked by over $6 million in 2021, with $5.75 million coming from Trinity in consulting and profit-sharing charges. In July, the Home Ethics Committee reauthorized a subcommittee to research her marketing campaign finance practices.
“From day one, I’ve cooperated with each lawful request, and I’ll proceed to take action till this matter is resolved,” Cherfilus-McCormick stated. “I’m deeply grateful for the help of my district, and I stay assured that the reality will prevail. I look ahead to my day in court docket. Till then, I’ll proceed preventing for my constituents.”
Defamation lawsuit in opposition to major challenger
Simply weeks earlier than the indictment, Cherfilus-McCormick filed a $1 million defamation lawsuit in opposition to Manley, one among her 2026 Democratic major opponents. The go well with, filed in Broward County, alleges that Manley unfold false and damaging claims about her in marketing campaign movies and commentaries.
Particularly, the criticism cites a July 5 Instagram video by which Manley accused her of taking $5.7 million in taxpayer funds and shifting them to her marketing campaign accounts. It additionally references a letter Manley revealed within the South Florida Solar-Sentinel suggesting that her election coincided with “moral and authorized scandals” harming the Democratic Celebration’s presence in Florida.
“(Congresswoman) Cherfilus-McCormick has devoted her life to public service,” her lawyer Michael Pizzi stated in a press release concerning the defamation case. “She is not going to permit herself, her household and the general public to be subjected to an countless collection of blatant lies which can be solely carried out to maliciously hurt her hard-earned fame.”
Manley’s marketing campaign referred to as the go well with “frivolous” and accused the Congresswoman of deflecting from the corruption investigation. “It is a traditional Trump tactic that won’t assist her defend her seat,” the marketing campaign stated.
Florida’s twentieth District—a closely Democratic and majority-Black and Haitian space that features elements of Broward and Palm Seashore counties—has been a protected seat for the social gathering. However the indictment might shake up the political panorama forward of the August 2026 major.
Indictment follows persistent questions
Questions on her funds have adopted Cherfilus-McCormick for years, and reached a crescendo when 17 candidates vied in 2021 to switch Hastings in a particular election. On the time, the race drew a number of Haitian American, a becoming slate for a district of 802,000 people stretching throughout elements of Broward and Palm Seashore counties that homes a big variety of Haitian American residents.
Cherfilus-McCormick had ran twice for the congressional seat earlier than and misplaced to Hastings earlier than he died at age 84 of pancreatic most cancers in early 2021. With the nation within the grips of a pandemic and Haitians arriving on the southern border in droves, the contenders vowed to safe helpful immigration and Covid help insurance policies.
Because the race heated up in fall 2021, questions arose about Cherfilus-McCormick’s funds as she introduced herself as rich. She poured $2.1 million of what she stated then was her personal cash into the marketing campaign and promised to present residents $1,000 per thirty days — a pledge written on her campaign T-shirt. She didn’t present particulars on the time about how she would obtain the latter.
Whereas her wealth was touted as proof of her management capability through the marketing campaign, she was amongst 37 candidates who failed to show of their obligatory monetary studies that present voters how they earned their cash, according to WUSF Public Media—elevating eyebrows.
As well as, her challengers additionally questioned her motivations for working in Florida, since her life appeared to be primarily based primarily within the Washington, D.C. space.
Regardless of the questions, Cherfilus-McCormick prevailed and squeezed previous one other candidate after a recount — successful the seat by 5 votes. With that victory, turned the second Haitian American elected to Congress after Mia Love, who represented Utah from 2015 to 2019.
At the same time as Cherfilus-McCormick turned a vocal proponent of Haiti-friendly insurance policies, formal inquiries adopted her tenure. Then, in keeping with an AP report, the Florida state agency suit got here together with the congressional ethics investigation concluding she could have violated U.S. Home guidelines and federal legislation together with her marketing campaign actions.
Information of her indictment has been met with combined responses from the Haitian group, with many advocating for her innocence and others expressing disappointment in regards to the information.
”They at all times wish to steal the enjoyment of Haitian folks!!,” stated a commenter on Instagram. Harmless [until] confirmed responsible.”
”Let’s hope she didn’t do something,” stated one other commenter on Instagram. “I wish to see how folks will react if she did one thing. If she is really responsible, let’s hope our folks settle for the reality and never brush it underneath the rug.”