A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida, alleging she helped siphon millions of dollars in disaster-relief funds and covertly redirected them to support her 2021 congressional campaign. The charges mark a significant escalation in a case that had already drawn scrutiny from federal election regulators and now places the first-term lawmaker among several House Democrats facing severe legal jeopardy.
The Federal Election Commission launched an inquiry in September after complaints accused Cherfilus-McCormick’s campaign of concealing in-kind contributions connected to her family and longtime consultant Mark Goodrich. Prosecutors now allege that Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, 51, diverted a $5 million Federal Emergency Management Agency overpayment obtained through their family’s healthcare company during a COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract. According to the indictment, the pair routed the funds through multiple accounts to obscure their path before channeling a large share into her special-election bid and using the rest for personal expenses.
The indictment details additional allegations: Cherfilus-McCormick and co-defendant Nadege Leblanc are accused of orchestrating a straw-donor operation that funneled FEMA-funded contract money to friends and relatives, who then made campaign contributions under their own names. Prosecutors also contend that Cherfilus-McCormick and tax preparer David K. Spencer conspired to disguise political spending and personal purchases as business deductions on her 2021 federal tax return, while inflating charitable donations to lower her tax liability.
Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the alleged misuse of aid meant for disaster victims. “Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” she said. “No one is above the law, least of all powerful people who rob taxpayers for personal gain.” U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones emphasized that the charges reflect a broader need to protect federal emergency funding. “Public money belongs to the American people,” he said. “When FEMA funds are diverted for personal or political gain, it erodes trust and harms us all.”
If convicted on all counts, Cherfilus-McCormick faces up to 53 years in prison. Her brother faces a potential 35-year sentence, while Leblanc faces up to 10 years and Spencer up to 33 years.
Public records show that Cherfilus-McCormick’s husband, Corlie McCormick Jr., and her sister-in-law, Chantrell McCormick, serve as registered agents for Progressive People Inc., a Florida LLC that transferred $725,000 to Truth and Justice Inc., a tax-exempt nonprofit tied to Gary Eugene Beasley. According to the Office of Congressional Ethics, this nonprofit allegedly provided Goodrich with access to its accounts, enabling him to route payments to campaign vendors.
With the indictment, Cherfilus-McCormick becomes the third House Democrat currently confronting potential federal prison time, alongside New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver and Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar, who face unrelated charges ranging from obstruction of federal officers to alleged foreign-influence bribery schemes.
Cherfilus-McCormick’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Separately, the Coolidge-Reagan Foundation has alleged that Trinity Health Care Services LLC — where Cherfilus-McCormick served as CEO — embezzled $5 million in 2021. The home-health company is registered to her mother and stepfather, Marie and Gabriel Smith, and lists her brother Edwin as vice president of operations.
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