Florida Congresswoman Faces Federal Charges Over COVID-19 Fund Misappropriation

Tue Dec 30 2025 11:41:48 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick insists on her innocence as she is accused of illegally acquiring $5 million in COVID-19 disaster funds which were meant for pandemic relief efforts.

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democratic congresswoman from Florida, has been charged with multiple counts including theft of government funds and conspiracy related to $5 million her family's healthcare company reportedly mishandled. While she maintains her innocence, the court proceedings will further examine the allegations against her. Cherfilus-McCormick has requested to postpone her arraignment to finalize her legal defense team and continues to serve her constituents despite the charges.

MIAMI (AP) — U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick reiterated her innocence Monday outside a Miami federal courthouse, where she faces charges of conspiring to steal $5 million in federal COVID-19 disaster funds.

Cherfilus-McCormick was scheduled to be arraigned, but her attorney requested the proceeding be rescheduled to Jan. 20 so that she could finalize her legal team. Prosecutors didn’t object, and Judge Lisette Reid agreed to the new date. The hearing lasted less than five minutes.

“I just want to make it very clear that I am innocent,” Cherfilus-McCormick said immediately after leaving court. “In no way did I steal any kind of funds. I’m committed to the people of Florida and my district.”

Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat, has pleaded not guilty. She is facing 15 federal counts that accuse her of stealing funds that had been overpaid to her family’s health care company, Trinity Healthcare Services, in 2021. The company had a contract to register people for COVID-19 vaccinations.

Cherfilus-McCormick’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, stated that the case stems from mistakes that generally aren’t felonies or even misdemeanors, arguing that it is politically motivated.

Cherfilus-McCormick was arrested in November and is out on a $60,000 bond, which requires her to surrender her personal passport. She is permitted to travel only between Florida, Washington, D.C., Maryland, and the Eastern District of Virginia, albeit she retains her congressional passport to fulfill her duties.

Federal prosecutors allege that within two months of receiving the $5 million, over $100,000 was spent on a luxurious diamond ring for the congresswoman. The indictment suggests that the funds were diverted to various accounts, including those of friends and relatives who contributed to Cherfilus-McCormick’s congressional campaign.

Having won a special election in January 2022 for Florida's 20th District, which encompasses parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties, Cherfilus-McCormick maintains she will not resign and has cooperated with legal requests to solve the ongoing situation.

Charges against her include theft of government funds, making and receiving straw donor contributions, aiding and assisting a false statement on a tax return, money laundering, and conspiracy charges linked with each count.