The Left has made a mockery of law and order. But rarely are they so blatant.
And now a Congressional Democrat was threatened with jail time for this horrific crime.
Florida Democrat Indicted for Allegedly Stealing $5 Million in FEMA Pandemic Funds to Fuel Narrow Campaign Victory
In a stunning federal indictment unsealed Wednesday, Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) stands accused of orchestrating a scheme to pocket millions in taxpayer-funded COVID relief money and illegally channel it into her razor-thin 2021 congressional primary win.
Prosecutors allege the congresswoman and her brother exploited a massive overpayment on a vaccination staffing contract awarded to their family business, then deliberately concealed the windfall while funneling large sums through straw donors to her campaign coffers.
A Cynical Abuse of Disaster Relief at Taxpayers’ Expense
The Justice Department charges that Cherfilus-McCormick’s company received $5 million extra due to what the state called a “clerical error”—yet rather than return the funds meant for pandemic response, she and her brother allegedly conspired to keep and launder the money.
A substantial portion reportedly flowed to friends and relatives who then “donated” it back to her campaign.
Adding insult to injury, the indictment claims she falsely deducted the illicit political spending as business expenses on her taxes while inflating charitable contributions.
“Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “No one is above the law, least of all powerful people who rob taxpayers for personal gain.”
From Five-Vote Win to Mounting Calls for Expulsion
Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 Democratic primary victory—by a mere five votes—catapulted her to Congress, but now faces intense scrutiny as the very funds alleged to have tipped the scales were taxpayer dollars intended for crisis response.
Her personal income skyrocketed from $86,000 in 2020 to nearly $6 million in 2021, largely from “consulting fees” paid to herself by the family firm, even as the company refused to repay over $5.7 million in documented overpayments.
Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) wasted no time, announcing plans to force a vote censuring Cherfilus-McCormick, stripping her committee assignments, and pushing for full expulsion if convicted or ethics probes confirm the allegations.
“This is one of the most egregious abuses of public trust I have ever seen,” he said on social media.
“Stealing $5 million in taxpayer disaster funds from FEMA of all places is beyond indefensible. Millions of Floridians have relied on FEMA after devastating hurricanes, and that money was supposed to help real disaster victims.”
Mr. Steube also said he would lead an effort to expel Ms. Cherfilus-McCormick from Congress if she is convicted or a House Ethics Committee investigation confirms the behavior alleged in the indictment.
