Democratic Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick shelled out thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates and affiliated groups, but the recipients are staying mum about the donations following a bombshell indictment alleging her campaign used stolen disaster relief funds.
Cherfilus-McCormick, an embattled lawmaker first elected to the House in a January 2022 special election, is facing up to 53 years in prison for allegedly stealing $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) overpayments among other charges. A recent House ethics subcommittee report found that a “substantial amount” of the funds were laundered in support of her special election campaign and subsequent November 2022 reelection bid.
Federal prosecutors allege that millions of stolen funds were rerouted from Trinity Health Care Services, Cherfilus-McCormick’s company, to her campaign account during her special election campaign to replace Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings, who died in office. It is possible that some of the Florida Democrat’s contributions to Democrats — mostly Black women running for federal office — may have drawn from the fraudulent stockpile.
In January 2022, former Democratic Florida Rep. Val Demings received a donation of $5,800 from Cherfilus-McCormick in support of her Senate run — the same month Cherfilus-McCormick was elected to Washington in a special election. Then-Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio went on to trounce Demings in the general election to win his third term in office.
In April 2022, Cherfilus-McCormick donated $5,000 to Democratic Ohio Rep. Shontel Brown, who was vying in a competitive primary against far-left former State Sen. Nina Turner for the party’s nomination. Brown comfortably defeated Turner in the rematch contest.