U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democratic representative from Florida, has been accused of stealing $5 million intended for natural disaster recovery and using the funds for her 2021 congressional campaign. According to the indictment, Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother stole the funds through a family healthcare company with a contract with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Justice announced in a statement. In July 2021, the company, which was participating in COVID-19 vaccination programs, received a $5 million overpayment from FEMA, and both defendants 'conspired to steal' that amount, channeling it through multiple accounts to conceal its origin. Prosecutors allege that part of those funds were justified as contributions to Cherfilus-McCormick's 2021 congressional campaign and another part was used for the personal use of the defendants. The indictment also added that the congresswoman, along with another person, organized 'additional contributions using straw donors and channeling other funds from the FEMA-funded COVID-19 contract to friends and family who then donated to the campaign as if they were using their own money'. Additionally, Cherfilus-McCormick is charged along with her 2021 tax preparer for conspiring to file a false statement. If found guilty, the Democrat faces a maximum sentence of 53 years in prison. Her brother faces 35 years in jail. The politician defended her innocence in a statement, saying the indictment 'seeks to divert attention from much more urgent national issues'. The indictment also forced Cherfilus-McCormick to temporarily step down from her position on a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee, as the Democratic caucus requires its members to resign if they are indicted.
