Another politician is in hot water, and this time it’s over allegedly pilfering disaster relief funds meant for struggling Americans.
The Daily Caller reported that Florida Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, along with her brother and others, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday, for reportedly diverting millions in taxpayer-funded FEMA aid to fuel her 2021 congressional campaign and personal splurges.
In September 2025, the Federal Election Commission launched a probe after complaints surfaced about hidden in-kind contributions linked to her family and a consultant named Mark Goodrich.
Things got uglier when prosecutors claimed Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, and her brother Edwin Cherfilus, 51, siphoned off a $5 million FEMA overpayment tied to a COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract through their family’s healthcare business.
That company, Trinity Health Care Services LLC, is registered to her mother and stepfather, with Edwin listed as vice president of operations, raising eyebrows about just how deep this family affair goes.
According to the indictment, those funds were shuffled through a web of accounts to mask their source, ultimately bankrolling her campaign and covering personal expenses.
Adding to the scheme, Cherfilus-McCormick and co-defendant Nadege Leblanc allegedly orchestrated a straw-donor setup, funneling FEMA contract cash to friends and relatives who then donated under their own names.
Prosecutors also point fingers at tax preparer David K. Spencer, accusing him of helping file a fraudulent 2021 tax return by disguising campaign costs and personal buys as business expenses while inflating charitable contributions.
Further complicating matters, Cherfilus-McCormick’s husband and sister-in-law are tied to Progressive People Inc., a Florida LLC that funneled $725,000 to a nonprofit called Truth and Justice Inc. in 2022.
That nonprofit, linked to Gary Eugene Beasley, reportedly allowed Goodrich to access accounts and direct payments to vendors for her campaign, per findings from the Office of Congressional Ethics.
A complaint from the Coolidge-Reagan Foundation even alleges that Trinity Health Care Services LLC misappropriated $5 million in 2021 while Cherfilus-McCormick served as CEO—a claim that only thickens the plot.
If convicted, the stakes are sky-high: Cherfilus-McCormick faces up to 53 years in prison, her brother up to 35, Leblanc up to 10, and Spencer up to 33.
Attorney General Pam Bondi didn’t mince words, stating, “Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime.”
And she’s got a point—when public money meant for disaster victims gets diverted, it’s not just a crime; it’s a betrayal of the folks who need help most.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones echoed the sentiment, saying, “Public money belongs to the American people.” When FEMA dollars are misused for personal or political gain, it chips away at the trust hardworking taxpayers place in government—and that’s a loss we can’t afford in times of crisis.