Journalism of Courage
A federal grand jury in Florida has indicted US Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick on charges of stealing federal Covid-19 relief funds and directing the money to her 2021 congressional campaign.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, to parents from Haiti, Cherfilus-McCormick started her career as a project manager for the New York City Transit Authority. In 1999, she became the vice-president for operations of Trinity Health Care Services, a Florida-based family home health care company co-founded by her stepfather, Gabriel Smith. She later became the CEO of Trinity Health Care and held the post till 2022.
Cherfilus-McCormick entered politics in 2018 with an unsuccessful Democratic primary for Florida’s 20th congressional district. She tried her luck again in 2020, but faced the same result. But in the Special election held in 2022, following the death of incumbent Alcee Hastings, Cherfilus-McCormick was elected to the US Congress.
The indictment accuses Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, and others of receiving a $5 million overpayment through her family-owned healthcare company and routing the money through multiple accounts to disguise its source.
The company had a Covid-19 vaccination staffing contract funded by the US Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Justice Department said in a press release.
“Prosecutors allege that a substantial portion of the misappropriated funds was used as candidate contributions to Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign and for the personal benefit of the defendants,” the statement said.
Read more: Who is Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, the Florida Democratic Congresswoman, indicted for stealing $5 million in Covid-19 aid funds?Along with Cherfilus-McCormick, her brother and her 2021 tax preparer, David Spencer, also face a charge of conspiring to file a false federal tax return.
While her brother could face up to 35 years in jail, Spencer may face a jail term of 33 years.
Cherfilus-McCormick has so far denied wrongdoing.
