Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick "will take leave" from her House committee leadership duties after her indictment on federal charges alleging she stole $5 million in disaster-relief funds and used part of the money to help finance her 2021 congressional campaign.
"Pursuant to the Rules of the House, Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick will take leave from her position as Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa while this matter is ongoing," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a statement Thursday morning through spokesperson Christie Stephenson about the Florida Democrat.
The statement added that Cherfilus-McCormick has "proudly represented the people of Palm Beach and Broward Counties since 2022," and that according to the U.S. Constitution, "she is entitled to her day in court and the presumption of innocence."
Federal prosecutors say the Democrat diverted FEMA overpayments tied to a COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract awarded to her family’s health-care company.
According to the indictment, a portion of the money was funneled into contributions that ultimately supported her campaign.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the alleged conduct amounted to “a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” adding that “no one is above the law, least of all powerful people who rob taxpayers for personal gain.”
In a statement, Cherfilus-McCormick maintained her innocence and called the allegations against her baseless and unjust.
"The timing alone is curious and clearly meant to distract from far more pressing national issues," she said. "From day one, I have cooperated with every lawful request, and I will continue to do so until this matter is resolved."
The investigation into Cherfilus-McCormick and her alleged accomplices dates to the Biden administration.
The South Florida lawmaker was first elected to Congress from a heavily Democratic district covering parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties in a 2022 special election.
She succeeded Rep. Alcee L. Hastings, who died in 2021, and later won the general election that same year. She is currently running for reelection.
Cherfilus-McCormick has long been under scrutiny for the alleged theft and campaign violations.
The state of Florida sued Trinity Health Care Services, the health care firm she once led, alleging the company received an accidental overpayment of $5,007,271.50 and “knowingly processed an invoice more than 100 times its typical invoice size."
Local media reported she settled the case and agreed to repay the state over 19 years.
The House Ethics Committee is also investigating the congresswoman, according to a statement released in January.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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