Florida Democratic congresswoman indicted for allegedly stealing $5m in FEMA funds
Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that she stole $5 million in FEMA funds and funneled the money into her 2021 congressional campaign through illegal contributions, the U.S. Justice Department announced Wednesday.
According to the indictment, Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, and her brother Edwin Cherfilus, 51, allegedly received a $5 million overpayment on a federal contract awarded to their family-owned health care company for COVID-19 vaccination staffing in 2021. Prosecutors say the pair then laundered the funds through multiple bank accounts to conceal their origin, News.Az reports, citing ABC News.
Investigators say the congresswoman and her associates arranged a network of straw donors, including friends and relatives, who made campaign donations with the siphoned FEMA funds in order to disguise the illegal financing.
Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the allegations, calling the scheme “a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” adding that powerful officials who misuse disaster relief funds “will be held accountable.”
If convicted on all charges, Cherfilus-McCormick faces a maximum sentence of up to 53 years in federal prison. As of Wednesday evening, she did not have an attorney listed on the case docket.
The investigation dates back to the Biden administration, officials told ABC News. The House Ethics Committee had already opened a separate probe in early 2025 following a referral from the Office of Congressional Ethics.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries urged caution, saying the congresswoman is “innocent until proven guilty.”
Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Greg Steube of Florida said he plans to file a resolution to censure Cherfilus-McCormick and remove her from all committee assignments, calling the case “one of the most egregious abuses of public trust I have ever seen.”
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