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By Gabe Whisnant
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U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida is defending herself after being indicted on federal charges alleging she stole $5 million in FEMA disaster funds, laundered the money through straw donors to her congressional campaign and conspired to file a false tax return.
The Democratic lawmaker, who represents South Florida’s 20th Congressional District, was charged Wednesday in a sweeping indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Miami and unsealed by the Justice Department. Several co-defendants, including her brother, were also charged.
“This is an unjust, baseless, sham indictment — and I am innocent. The timing alone is curious and clearly meant to distract from far more pressing national issues,” Cherfilus-McCormick's statement reads in part. “I look forward to my day in court. Until then, I will continue fighting for my constituents.”
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Why was Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Indicted?
Federal prosecutors say the case stems from a 2021 COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract awarded to Trinity Healthcare Services, a Miramar-based company run by Cherfilus-McCormick’s family. According to the indictment, the company received an overpayment of roughly $5 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Prosecutors allege the defendants routed the extra funds through multiple bank accounts to conceal their origin, then used a portion of the money to make illicit contributions that helped finance Cherfilus-McCormick’s successful 2021 campaign.
A “substantial portion” of the stolen funds was used either to support her run for Congress or for the personal benefit of the defendants, prosecutors said. The indictment also charges the congresswoman and her 2021 tax preparer with conspiring to file a false federal return by disguising political spending and personal expenses as business deductions and inflating charitable contributions.
The indictment follows prior scrutiny of Trinity Healthcare Services. In December 2024, the Florida Division of Emergency Management sued the company, accusing it of overcharging the state by nearly $5.8 million during the pandemic. Earlier this year, the Office of Congressional Ethics reported that Cherfilus-McCormick’s income surged by more than $6 million between 2020 and 2021, driven largely by profit-sharing and consulting fees from Trinity. In July, the House Ethics Committee unanimously extended its investigation into her activities.
If convicted on all federal counts, Cherfilus-McCormick faces decades in prison. She and her co-defendants remain presumed innocent.
Her legal team—attorneys David Oscar Markus, Margot Moss and Melissa Madrigal—also issued a statement calling her a committed public servant and vowing to clear her name. Her office confirmed she does not plan to resign.
Who is Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick?
Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, was first elected in a January 2022 special election to replace the late Rep. Alcee Hastings. A former health-care executive, she became the only Haitian American Democrat in Congress. However, the indictment immediately altered her standing on Capitol Hill. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced Thursday that she would step down as the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, in accordance with caucus rules. Jeffries emphasized she is entitled to the presumption of innocence.
Republicans moved swiftly to call for stronger action. Rep. Greg Steube of Florida demanded her resignation and said he would introduce an expulsion resolution if she refused to step aside. “Defrauding the federal government and disaster victims of $5 million is an automatic disqualifier from serving in elected office,” he posted on X.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
Updates: 11/20/25, 3:07 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
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