Florida Rep Faces Serious Accusations Over COVID Funds

A Florida congresswoman is under fire for allegedly misusing federal disaster relief funds.

The Allegations

• Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat representing parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties, has been accused of taking $5 million meant for disaster relief.
• The Justice Department claims she used some of the funds for her 2021 campaign.

The Details

• Cherfilus-McCormick's family health care company, Trinity Healthcare Services, received an overpayment from a federal contract for COVID-19 vaccination staffing.
• Instead of returning the extra cash, prosecutors allege she kept it and funneled some into her campaign.

Reactions

• Attorney General Pam Bondi called the alleged actions "particularly selfish" and "cynical."
• Bondi emphasized that no one, especially powerful people, should get away with stealing from taxpayers.

Previous Scrutiny

• In December 2024, a Florida state agency sued Cherfilus-McCormick's family company for overcharging the state by nearly $5.8 million.
• The agency found a big overpayment of $5 million, raising red flags.

Background

• In 2021, Cherfilus-McCormick was the CEO of Trinity Healthcare Services, the company involved in the overpayments.
• That same year, her income skyrocketed by over $6 million, thanks to fees from Trinity.

Ongoing Investigations

• The House Ethics Committee is also looking into the allegations.
• In July, they voted to continue investigating the claims against her.

It looks like Cherfilus-McCormick has some serious explaining to do.