Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Indicted, Faces Up to 53 Years for Alleged $5 Million FEMA Fraud

U.S. Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) was indicted by a federal grand jury in Miami on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, on charges of stealing $5 million in COVID-19 FEMA funds, money laundering, and illegal campaign contributions. The Department of Justice announced the indictment, which alleges the congresswoman and co-defendants funneled the funds into her 2021 congressional campaign. If convicted, Cherfilus-McCormick faces a maximum sentence of up to 53 years in prison.

According to the indictment, Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, worked through their family healthcare company, Trinity Healthcare Services, on a FEMA-funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract in 2021. The company allegedly received a $5 million overpayment in July 2021, which prosecutors claim was then routed through multiple accounts to disguise its source. A substantial portion of these funds was reportedly used for her campaign and personal benefit, alongside a "straw donor" scheme involving Nadege Leblanc, where money was funneled to friends and relatives to make campaign donations.

The indictment also charges Cherfilus-McCormick and her 2021 tax preparer, David Spencer, with conspiring to file a false federal tax return, claiming personal and political expenses as business deductions and inflating charitable contributions. This legal action follows previous scrutiny, including ongoing House Ethics Committee and FEC investigations since 2023 into alleged illegal in-kind contributions and the use of family nonprofits. A Florida state agency also sued her family's company in December 2024 over nearly $5.8 million in overcharges.

Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the alleged actions, stating, "Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime." In response, Cherfilus-McCormick's attorneys, David Oscar Markus, Margot Moss, and Melissa Madrigal, asserted that she "is a committed public servant, who is dedicated to her constituents. We will fight to clear her good name." House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries commented that the congresswoman is "innocent until proven guilty."

Cherfilus-McCormick represents Florida's 20th Congressional District, a D+22 seat encompassing parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties and the state's only majority-Black district. The indictment comes amidst a contentious political climate in Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis has advocated for mid-decade redistricting, a move critics argue aims to "crack" and dilute minority voting power in districts like FL-20. The Florida Supreme Court has previously upheld redistricting that dismantled a majority-Black district in North Florida, ruling that the Equal Protection Clause takes precedence over state "Fair Districts" amendments.