‎DOJ Charges Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick With $5 Million FEMA Fraud, Money Laundering, and Campaign Finance Scheme

By: Shawn
‎Federal prosecutors have charged Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick with multiple offenses connected to an alleged $5 million FEMA fraud scheme tied to a 2021 COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract. The indictment outlines accusations of theft, money laundering, and the misuse of federal funds for campaign financing.
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‎DOJ indicts Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick for allegedly stealing $5M in FEMA funds, laundering the money, and directing it into her 2021 campaign.
‎J. Scott Applewhite/AP
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‎The Department of Justice reports that Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, and her brother Edwin Cherfilus, 51, allegedly diverted a $5 million FEMA overpayment received by their family health-care company in July 2021. According to the indictment, the funds were routed through several accounts as part of a plan to conceal their origin.
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‎Federal prosecutors state that a significant share of the diverted FEMA money was used to support Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign. The indictment also alleges that portions of the funds were used for personal benefit. Investigators assert that the defendants engaged in transactions designed to disguise the movement of the FEMA payment.
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‎Court filings detail additional allegations involving the use of straw donors. Prosecutors say Cherfilus-McCormick and Nadege Leblanc, 46, arranged for friends and relatives to make campaign contributions with money originating from the FEMA-funded contract. These contributions were reportedly made to appear as if they came from the individuals’ own finances.
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‎Further charges relate to the filing of an allegedly false federal tax return for 2021. The indictment states that Cherfilus-McCormick and her tax preparer, David K. Spencer, 41, claimed political expenses, personal costs, and overstated charitable contributions as business deductions. Prosecutors say these filings were intended to reduce her tax liabilities.
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‎Cherfilus-McCormick faces up to 53 years in prison if convicted on all counts outlined by the Department of Justice.

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