House Dem Indicted On Fraud C
A federal grand jury has indicted Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and several
co-defendants for allegedly stealing about $5 million in FEMA disaster-relief funds and directing the money into her 2021 congressional campaign.
Prosecutors say she and her brother diverted a $5 million overpayment from a COVID-19 staffing contract awarded to their family’s health-care company,
moving the funds through multiple accounts before using them for political donations.
The indictment also claims she conspired with her tax preparer to file a false return.
Prosecutors say the group created straw-donor schemes in which friends and relatives “donate” money that actually came from FEMA funds.
If convicted, she faces up to 53 years in prison.
Attorney General Pam Bondi called the conduct “a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” adding, “No one is above the law.”
Her primary opponent Elijah Manley said the indictment is “a sad moment” and that voters are ready to move past “fraud, corruption, and distractions.”
