Her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, is named as a co-conspirator, accused of participating in the scheme to divert FEMA funds for personal and political use. Federal authorities allege that Cherfilus-McCormick also conspired with her tax preparer, David K. Spencer, to submit a false tax return—mislabeling personal expenses as business deductions and inflating charitable contributions to reduce her tax liabilities. If convicted, the congresswoman could face up to 53 years in prison; her brother, up to 35 years.
This indictment comes against a backdrop of intense scrutiny over Cherfilus-McCormick’s financial dealings during the pandemic. In late 2024, Florida’s Division of Emergency Management filed suit against Trinity Healthcare Services, alleging the company overcharged the state by nearly $5.8 million for COVID-19 vaccine registration services and refused repayment.
The House Ethics Committee had already extended its investigation into Cherfilus-McCormick’s dramatic increase in personal income, noting a surge of over $6 million in 2021—far surpassing her earnings from the previous year. Most of that increase was linked to consulting and profit-sharing fees from Trinity, raising further questions about potential conflicts of interest and self-enrichment.
According to the indictment, the FEMA-funded contract in 2021 resulted in an overpayment of roughly $5 million. Prosecutors allege that Cherfilus-McCormick and co-defendant Nadege Leblanc then organized straw-donor schemes, channeling the funds into political donations through friends and relatives, creating the illusion of legitimate contributions.
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