Florida Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick charged with stealing $5 million from FEMA

Florida Rep. Charged with Embezzling $5 Million from FEMA During COVID-19 Pandemic

US federal prosecutors have charged Democratic Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick with orchestrating a massive scheme to siphon off nearly $5 million in federal overpayment intended for her family's healthcare company, Trinity Healthcare Services. The payments were made in 2021 through a contract funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) aimed at supporting vaccination efforts.

According to an indictment unsealed on Wednesday, Cherfilus-McCormick's company misappropriated the inflated payment and routed it through a series of illicit transfers that ultimately benefited her special-election campaign. The indictment also alleges false tax filings, claiming personal expenses as deductible business costs, which prosecutors argue is a serious breach of public trust.

Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned Cherfilus-McCormick's alleged conduct, stating that using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is "a particularly selfish, cynical crime." She vowed to follow the facts in this case and deliver justice.

Cherfilus-McCormick, who represents Florida's 20th District in Broward and Palm Beach counties, has denied any wrongdoing, calling the indictment an "unjust, baseless, sham" and stating that she will continue to cooperate with lawful requests until the matter is resolved.

This latest development adds to several ongoing inquiries involving Cherfilus-McCormick and Trinity Healthcare. State officials in Florida previously sued the company for over $5.8 million in pandemic-response work, while an Office of Congressional Ethics report found a significant increase in Cherfilus-McCormick's income tied to payments from Trinity.

If convicted, Cherfilus-McCormick faces up to 53 years in prison. The case has sparked outrage, with many criticizing the congresswoman's alleged actions as a brazen abuse of power and a betrayal of public trust.

this whole thing is super messed up $5 million is like, whoa... can you even imagine embezzling that kind of cash? the fact that it was for her campaign and personal expenses just makes it even more egregious . I mean, I get it, people make mistakes, but this level of corruption is just stunning . The whole thing just feels like a big ol' mess and I'm not surprised that many are calling out Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick for her actions . 53 years in prison seems like a pretty fitting punishment .

Can't believe some people think they can just embezzle millions from the government and get away with it . I mean, who needs transparency when you're "helping" out your family's business, right? It's not like taxpayers funded this stuff... or did they? Anyway, I guess that's what happens when you think you can play both sides and be above the law – good luck with that, Sheila . At least it's nice to know some people are still taking this whole "public service" thing seriously (just kidding, kinda).

this is so messed up how could someone do that to the american people?? she's supposed to be helping them not taking from them i just can't even... I'm so angry but at the same time I hope justice gets served we deserve better than this kinda behavior from our elected officials

OMG u guys I'm literally shaking rn this is like WILD news about that Rep Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick she was supposed 2 b helping out w/ vaccination efforts thru FEMA but instead she was lining her pockets & using it 4 her campaign meanwhile ppl are dyin in the pandemic and here's this congresswoman trying 2 get away w/ like $5 million or whatever I don't know what's more cringeworthy - the fact that she did this or the fact that ppl r still supporting her I guess we'll just have to keep an eye on it & see how this all plays out

this is not good at all . Politicians should be held accountable for their actions especially when it comes to public funds . I mean, can't they just do the right thing? It's not like they're asking for much . Transparency and honesty are key . If someone gets caught like this, they should face the consequences no exceptions . This case is a real slap in the face to the public . The law is clear: those who abuse their power will be held accountable . It's time for our elected officials to put country over party .

It's really disappointing when people in positions of power like Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick use their influence for personal gain. The fact that she's accused of misusing $5 million meant to help with COVID-19 vaccination efforts is just plain wrong . I mean, who does that? And it's not just the money itself, but also the trust that people have placed in her as a representative. It's like she thinks she's above the law or something . The punishment of up to 53 years in prison might be harsh, but I think it's fitting. You can't just ignore the severity of this situation and expect everything to go back to normal .

I'm not surprised to hear this but I do think it's a bit concerning... a $5 million embezzlement scheme is still a big deal . As a constituent, you'd expect your rep to put the needs of their district first, not pocket some cash from a FEMA contract. That being said, we need to make sure the justice system is fair and doesn't jump to conclusions without solid evidence... Pam Bondi's got a point about public trust being breached, but let's see how this whole thing plays out before we start throwing the book at Cherfilus-McCormick .

This is wild ! Can't believe someone would do this to hurt others . I mean, FEMA is there to help people in need , not to fund personal gain . It's just not right . If she gets caught, I hope she faces the consequences . Public trust is everything , and someone like this can't have it . Can we just get back to helping others instead of all this corruption ?

omg this is so messed up she was supposed to be helping people get vaccinated and now it turns out she's been lining her own pockets like 5 million bucks is crazy what's even more disturbing is that she's trying to play dumb and call the whole thing an "unjust, baseless sham" lol like really? who does that? anyway, it's great that the attorney general is calling her out on this one gotta keep the politicians accountable

This is just getting out of hand! I mean, come on $5 million? That's like, crazy! And she thought she could just siphon it off for her own campaign? What's next? She's gonna say the vaccine was a scam too?! It's not just about her personal gain, it's about the public trust and the taxpayers' money. This is just disgusting. And the fact that she's denying it like it's all some big conspiracy theory... Give me a break! She should be ashamed of herself. 53 years in prison? That's fitting.

gotta think, what's really goin' on here? First, we got this Rep from Florida gettin' charged for embezzlin' $5 million from FEMA, but is it just a coincidence that her company was gettin' all these pandemic-response contracts? It seems fishy to me. I mean, why would she be gettin' all these payments and then suddenly "misappropriating" them? Maybe there's more to this story than we're seein'. And what about the other inquiries against her company? Is it just a coincidence that they're all tie-in' back to pandemic contracts too? This whole thing just smells like a big ol' cover-up to me.

I'm so disappointed in Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick right now... like, can't she just be honest for once? $5 million is a crazy amount of money to siphon off from FEMA's relief funds and use it for her campaign. That's just not right . And on top of that, she's already been in trouble with the state for Trinity Healthcare's pandemic-response work... it's like, what's going on here?

I don't get why people can't be transparent about their business dealings and make sure they're not taking advantage of public funds. It's just basic integrity . And now she's denying any wrongdoing? Like, come on Sheila, own up to it! We deserve better from our elected officials.

And honestly, I'm also a little frustrated with the whole justice system right now... like, why did it take so long for her to get charged? How many people have been taken advantage of because of this kind of corruption? It's just not right.

man this is crazy she just used $5 million from federal funds meant for vaccine efforts to line her own pockets and now she's facing 53 years in prison? that's insane! I mean i've heard of politicians being corrupt but this takes the cake. it's like she's more worried about winning elections than helping people during a pandemic i feel so let down by elected officials sometimes...it's hard to trust them anymore

OMG, can you believe this?! A rep from Florida getting charged with embezzling $5 million from FEMA is just wild! I mean, like, we get it, the pandemic was crazy and people were struggling, but that's no excuse for someone to take advantage of a system meant to help others. Cherfilus-McCormick should've been more careful with those funds, especially since her company was getting all this money from FEMA. It's just not cool when ppl abuse their power like this.

I'm literally shook by this news ! $5 million is a crazy amount of money, and it's just not right that someone would use their position to line their own pockets like that . I mean, can you imagine if your fave celeb did something like this? The public would be FURIOUS . It's even worse when it's a public servant, especially one who's supposed to be representing the people they're elected by . 53 years in prison is not enough for someone who broke the law like this, IMHO . I'm definitely keeping an eye on this case and hoping that justice is served .

this is so messed up! A rep from florida took $5 million meant for vaccine efforts and her own company just to line her pockets she's basically saying that people died from covid because it was cheaper for her to use the money and now she's saying its all a big misunderstanding 53 years in prison is not enough for someone who thinks they're above the law and what really gets me is that this happens when we need leaders who are honest and will put the country first

man I'm so shocked by this news it's like she took advantage of people's suffering during covid for her own gain that's just disgusting and not cool at all what if there were other congress members doing the same thing behind our backs would we even know about it? anyway i hope justice is served ASAP and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick gets held accountable for her actions

[Image of a cartoon character holding a bag of money with a red "X" marked through it]

[A gif of a person trying to pass off their own misdeeds as someone else's]

[An image of a house with a big X marked on the door, accompanied by a caption that says "No more free passes"]

I'm really worried about this ... I made a diagram of the situation and it looks like a big mess


+-----------------------------------------------+
| FEMA contract |
+-----------------------------------------------+
|
| $5 million overpayment
v
+-----------------------------------------------+
| Trinity Healthcare Services |
| (Cherfilus-McCormick's company) |
+-----------------------------------------------+
|
| Illicit transfers |
| False tax filings |
+-----------------------------------------------+
|
| Cherfilus-McCormick's personal campaign
v
+-----------------------------------------------+
| Public trust betrayed |
+-----------------------------------------------+

It's like, she took money meant for the community and used it for her own gain ... that's not right. I hope she gets justice and serves some time in prison . We need to make sure public officials are held accountable for their actions .