Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick indicted for allegedly stealing $5M in disaster relief funds  

U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly stealing $5 million in federal emergency funds and using the money to support her 2021 congressional campaign, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the congresswoman and several co-defendants—including her brother, Edwin Cherfilus—used their family health care company to carry out the scheme. Trinity Healthcare Services, which Cherfilus-McCormick led as CEO, received a $5 million overpayment in 2021 through a FEMA-funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract.

Prosecutors allege the money was rerouted to her coffers through various accounts to obscure its origins. A significant portion was used to finance her campaign via direct contributions and straw donors—friends and relatives who made donations that were later reimbursed using the FEMA funds.

“This is an unjust, baseless, sham indictment — and I am innocent,” Cherfilus-McCormick said in a statement to The Haitian Times. “The timing alone is curious and clearly meant to distract from far more pressing national issues.” 

Cherfilus-McCormick and her tax preparer, David K. Spencer, also allegedly filed a false federal tax return that classified political and personal spending as business expenses and overstated charitable donations.

“Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “No one is above the law, least of all powerful people who rob taxpayers for personal gain.”

The congresswoman could face up to 53 years in prison if convicted. Her brother faces up to 35 years, and two others also charged in the indictment—Nadege Leblanc and Spencer—face up to 10 and 33 years, respectively.

The indictment adds to a series of ongoing legal and ethical challenges for the 46-year-old Democrat, who has represented Florida’s 20th Congressional District since winning a special election in 2022 following the death of longtime Rep. Alcee Hastings.

In December 2024, Florida’s Division of Emergency Management sued Trinity Healthcare Services, alleging the company overcharged the state by nearly $5.8 million during the pandemic and refused to return the money. The Office of Congressional Ethics reported in January that Cherfilus-McCormick’s income spiked by over $6 million in 2021, with $5.75 million coming from Trinity in consulting and profit-sharing fees. In July, the House Ethics Committee reauthorized a subcommittee to investigate her campaign finance practices.

“From day one, I have cooperated with every lawful request, and I will continue to do so until this matter is resolved,” Cherfilus-McCormick said. “I am deeply grateful for the support of my district, and I remain confident that the truth will prevail. I look forward to my day in court. Until then, I will continue fighting for my constituents.”

Defamation lawsuit against primary challenger

Just weeks before the indictment, Cherfilus-McCormick filed a $1 million defamation lawsuit against Elijah Manley, one of her 2026 Democratic primary opponents. The suit, filed in Broward County, alleges that Manley spread false and damaging claims about her in campaign videos and commentaries.

Specifically, the complaint cites a July 5 Instagram video in which Manley accused her of taking $5.7 million in taxpayer funds and moving them to her campaign accounts. It also references a letter Manley published in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel suggesting that her election coincided with “ethical and legal scandals” harming the Democratic Party’s presence in Florida.

“(Congresswoman) Cherfilus-McCormick has dedicated her life to public service,” her attorney Michael Pizzi said in a statement regarding the defamation case. “She will not allow herself, her family and the public to be subjected to an endless series of blatant lies that are only done to maliciously harm her hard-earned reputation.”

Manley’s campaign called the suit “frivolous” and accused the Congresswoman of deflecting from the corruption investigation. “This is a classic Trump tactic that will not help her defend her seat,” the campaign said.

Florida’s 20th District—a heavily Democratic and majority-Black and Haitian area that includes parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties—has been a safe seat for the party. But the indictment could shake up the political landscape ahead of the August 2026 primary.

Indictment follows persistent questions 

Questions about her finances have followed Cherfilus-McCormick for years, and reached a crescendo when 17 candidates vied in 2021 to replace Hastings in a special election. At the time, the race drew several Haitian American, a fitting slate for a district of 802,000 people stretching across parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties that houses a significant number of Haitian American residents.

Cherfilus-McCormick ran twice for the congressional seat before and lost to Hastings before he died at age 84 of pancreatic cancer in early 2021. With the country in the grips of a pandemic and Haitians arriving at the southern border in droves, the contenders vowed to secure beneficial immigration and Covid assistance policies.

As the race heated up in fall 2021, questions arose about Cherfilus-McCormick’s finances as she presented herself as wealthy. She  poured $2.1 million of what she said then was her own money into the campaign and promised to give residents $1,000 per month — a pledge written on her campaign T-shirt. She did not provide details at the time about how she would achieve the latter.

While her wealth was touted as proof of her leadership capacity during the campaign, she was among 37 candidates who failed to turn in their mandatory financial reports that show voters how they earned their money, according to WUSF Public Media—raising eyebrows.

In addition, her challengers also questioned her motivations for running in Florida, since her life seemed to be based mainly in the Washington, D.C. area.

Despite the questions, Cherfilus-McCormick prevailed and squeezed past another candidate after a recount — winning the seat by five votes. With that victory, became the second Haitian American elected to Congress after Mia Love, who represented Utah from 2015 to 2019.

Even as Cherfilus-McCormick became a vocal proponent of Haiti-friendly policies, formal inquiries followed her tenure. Then, according to an AP report, the Florida state agency suit came along with the congressional ethics investigation concluding she may have violated U.S. House rules and federal law with her campaign activities. 

News of her indictment has been met with mixed responses from the Haitian community, with many advocating for her innocence and others expressing disappointment about the news.

 “They always want to steal the joy of Haitian people!!,” said a commenter on Instagram. Innocent [until] proven guilty.”

“Let’s hope she didn’t do anything,” said another commenter on Instagram. “I want to see how people will react if she did something. If she is truly guilty, let’s hope our people accept the truth and not brush it under the rug.”

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