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Federal prosecutors have indicted Florida Democratic congresswoman Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, alleging she played a role in directing a $5 million FEMA-funded covid vaccination overpayment into her 2021 campaign.
The Justice Department outlined charges involving her family’s company, Trinity Health Care Services, and several associates.
Prosecutors say the company received an unusually large payment in July 2021 far above a standard invoice and that the money should have been returned.
The indictment alleges the overpayment was redistributed through individuals who later made political contributions, with additional funds used to support the campaign directly.
Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the alleged misuse of disaster-relief funds, calling it a serious breach of public trust.
The congresswoman’s spokesperson and attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick represents a deeply Democratic district covering parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties.
She first won her seat in a 2022 special election and later secured a full term. Before entering Congress, she led Trinity Health Care Services, the company now named in the federal indictment.
Investigators state that Trinity Health Care Services received $5,007,271.50, a payment dramatically larger than its typical vaccine-program invoices.
Prosecutors allege the funds were distributed to relatives and associates who then made political donations that did not reflect the true source of the money.
Several co-defendants—including her brother and her tax preparer—are charged alongside her. The indictment was not yet posted publicly as of Wednesday night.
The federal investigation stretches back to the pandemic, when FEMA-funded vaccination programs were rolling out across Florida.
Trinity Health Care Services - the company formerly led by Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick received an unusually large $5 million overpayment, far beyond what officials say was typical for the program.
Florida’s attorney general sued the company over the money, a civil case that ended in a long-term repayment agreement.
That matter faded from public view until this year, when the House Ethics Committee announced it was examining the congresswoman’s conduct.
With the new federal indictment now active, the state settlement, the ethics review, and the criminal case are converging at a moment when she is campaigning for reelection.
A central part of the indictment focuses on alleged “straw donor” activity - a violation of federal campaign-finance rules.
Under these laws, every political donation must be made using the donor’s own money. A straw donation happens when one person supplies funds for someone else to contribute under their name, concealing where the money came from.
For prosecutors to pursue this charge, they must show three things:
The named donor was not the true source of the funds.
Money was knowingly routed through someone else.
The purpose was to influence a federal campaign.
These rules exist to protect transparency, ensuring voters know who is financially backing a candidate. The indictment reflects the government’s allegations, and all defendants remain presumed innocent as the case moves forward.
The indictment lands in the middle of an active campaign season, placing Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick’s legal battle directly in front of South Florida voters.
Cases involving pandemic-era FEMA funding often draw national scrutiny, especially when the money was intended for covid-response programs.
The charges now raise fresh questions about transparency, public spending, and how the overpayment was handled in the months before her election wins.
What happens next depends on upcoming court hearings, filings, and any public response from the congresswoman. The pace of the federal case — and how prosecutors present the evidence — will shape the next phase of both the legal process and her reelection campaign.
