The House Democrat accused of stealing $5 million in FEMA funds called the indictment against her an attack on “Black and brown people.”
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) on Wednesday was indicted for allegedly stealing millions in relief funds and using a portion of the money to fund her campaign in 2022. Earlier in the year, the state of Florida sued Trinity Health Care Services for overpaying the company for a Covid-19 vaccination contract. Instead of correcting the supposed issue, the CEO of Trinity — Cherfilus-McCormick — allegedly loaned herself the money to invest in the campaign.
The Justice Department accused Cherfilus-McCormick of routing the money “through multiple accounts to disguise its source.” She faces up to 53 years in prison if convicted.
Asked about the indictment this week, Cherfilus-McCormick claimed it was merely an effort to distract from the ongoing Epstein saga. She also suggested there was a racial angle at play, adding:
Well, it’s an unjust indictment, and it seems like these intimidation tactics have been pervasive. We spent all week seeing different members getting censured, all in hopes of intimidating and kind of distracting from the Epstein files, and I look forward to my day in court so I can prove myself and actually state the truth. But if this is what Congress is becoming, where they’re always trying to intimid. They use scare tactics, especially attacking minorities, black and brown people, then we’re gonna have to keep fighting for the district, and everybody has been giving me so much support, and we’re gonna keep fighting until the district gets what it needs, which is fair prices, housing, and fair representation in Congress.
