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50m ago

Grand Jury Indicts Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Over Alleged $5 Million FEMA Diversion

Prosecutors say a 2021 FEMA overpayment to the family’s contractor was diverted through layered accounts using straw donors.

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UNITED STATES - MARCH 27: Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., leaves the U.S. Capitol after the last votes of the week on Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images)
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Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is sworn in during a ceremony at Broward County Commission Chambers in Fort Lauderdale on Jan. 17, 2023.

Overview

  • A federal grand jury in Miami charged the Florida Democrat, her brother Edwin Cherfilus, Nadege Leblanc and tax preparer David K. Spencer.
  • Prosecutors allege Trinity Healthcare Services received a $5 million FEMA overpayment in July 2021 tied to a COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract and the money was routed through multiple accounts.
  • The indictment says a substantial portion of the funds was funneled into contributions for her 2021 congressional campaign and used for personal benefit.
  • Additional counts allege a straw‑donor scheme coordinated with Leblanc and a conspiracy with Spencer to file a false 2021 tax return by disguising political and personal expenses and inflating charitable deductions.
  • If convicted, Cherfilus-McCormick faces up to 53 years in prison; FBI Miami and IRS Criminal Investigation are leading the probe with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida, and all defendants are presumed innocent following earlier civil and House ethics scrutiny.