What to know about indicted congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick
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Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., speaks during a ceremony in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Jan. 27. Photo: Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
The indictment of Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) followed years of House ethics scrutiny over alleged campaign finance violations, accusations that have plagued most of her time in office.
The big picture: The South Florida Democrat had already faced a primary challenger who has attacked her over ethics concerns, criticism amplified by the federal indictment.
- Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) plans to force a vote to expel her after previously saying he would wait to do so until the Ethics committee concludes its investigation or for her to be convicted.
- In a statement to Axios, Cherfilus-McCormick said, "This is an unjust, baseless, sham indictment — and I am innocent. The timing alone is curious and clearly meant to distract from far more pressing national issues."
Driving the news: Prosecutors allege that Cherfilus-McCormick conspired with her brother to steal $5 million in FEMA funds.
- "Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
- "No one is above the law, least of all powerful people who rob taxpayers for personal gain. We will follow the facts in this case and deliver justice."
- The indictment against Cherfilus-McCormick has not yet been posted to the court's public docket, and the Justice Department has not responded to Axios' requests for a copy of the filing.
Read below for more on Cherfilus-McCormick and her case:
What is Cherfilus-McCormick accused of?
Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, used their family's health care company to take money from a COVID-19 vaccination contract funded by FEMA, according to the Justice Department's Wednesday allegations.
- In July of 2021, officials allege, the company received a $5 million overpayment, which the defendants allegedly conspired to snatch, routing it through multiple accounts to camouflage its origin.
- Prosecutors allege a "substantial portion" of those funds was funneled into her campaign.
- Cherfilus-McCormick could face up to 53 years in prison if convicted.
Zoom out: The indictment also charges the congresswoman and her tax preparer with conspiring to file a false tax return, alleging they falsely claimed political spending and personal expenses as business deductions and inflated charitable contributions.
Why was Cherfilus-McCormick already under investigation?
In May 2024, the House Committee on Ethics received a referral from the nonpartisan Office of Congressional Conduct after it found "substantial reason to believe" Cherfilus-McCormick "requested community project funding that would be directed to a for-profit entity."
- In May of this year, the Ethics Committee said the OCC's referral was being reviewed by an investigative subcommittee, but the "mere fact of a continued investigation into these allegations does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred."
- The OCC report, which was released to the public in May of this year, built on the scrutiny she was already facing.
The Wednesday indictment announcement came nearly two years after the House Ethics Committee first announced it had established an investigative subcommittee into Cherfilus-McCormick's alleged campaign finance law violations.
What does this mean for her role in Congress?
Steube had pledged to censure Cherfilus-McCormick. But said Thursday, he decided to "move straight to expulsion."
- Expulsion requires a two-thirds vote to pass the House.
She will step down from her position as the ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa amid the investigation, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced.
- "Consistent with the United States Constitution, she is entitled to her day in court and the presumption of innocence," Jeffries said in a statement.
Flashback: Cherfilus-McCormick was first elected in a 2022 special election to succeed the late Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (D). She was most recently elected again in 2024, when she ran uncontested.
- Her district is considered safely blue.
State of play: Elijah Manley, the 26-year-old vying for her seat, called on her to resign.
- He said in a statement that the people she represents "are ready to move past this era of fraud, corruption, and distractions."
Go deeper: Scoop: House members want to make it harder to censure each other
