A U.S. representative from South Florida has been indicted on charges related to the alleged misuse of disaster funds, and Florida lawmakers remember former Vice President Dick Cheney.
U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida has been indicted on charges accusing her of stealing $5 million in federal disaster funds and using some of the money to aid her 2021 campaign, the Justice Department said Wednesday.
The Democrat is accused of stealing Federal Emergency Management Agency overpayments that her family health care company had received through a federally funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract, federal prosecutors said. A portion of the money was then allegedly funneled to support her campaign through candidate contributions, prosecutors allege.
“Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “No one is above the law, least of all powerful people who rob taxpayers for personal gain. We will follow the facts in this case and deliver justice.”
Cherfilus-McCormick released a statement, denying the allegations.
“This is an unjust, baseless, sham indictment — and I am innocent,” she said in the statement. “The timing alone is curious and clearly meant to distract from far more pressing national issues. From day one, I have cooperated with every lawful request, and I will continue to do so until this matter is resolved.”
Cherfilus-McCormick was first elected to Congress in 2022 in the 20th District, representing parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties, in a special election after Rep. Alcee Hastings died in 2021.
In December 2024, a Florida state agency sued a company owned by Cherfilus-McCormick’s family, saying it overcharged the state by nearly $5.8 million for work done during the pandemic and wouldn’t give the money back.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management said it made a series of overpayments to Trinity Healthcare Services after hiring it in 2021 to register people for COVID-19 vaccinations. The agency says it discovered the problem after a single $5 million overpayment drew attention.
Cherfilus-McCormick was the CEO of Trinity at the time.
The Office of Congressional Ethics said in a January report that Cherfilus-McCormick’s income in 2021 was more than $6 million higher than in 2020, driven by nearly $5.75 million in consulting and profit-sharing fees received from Trinity Healthcare Services.
In July, the House Ethics Committee unanimously voted to reauthorize an investigative subcommittee to examine allegations involving Cherfilus-McCormick.
Dignitaries and loved ones of former Vice President Dick Cheney assembled in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to pay tribute to the late conservative political leader at his funeral.
Cheney — who served as vice president for both of former President George W. Bush’s terms, as chief of staff to the late President Gerald Ford and as secretary of defense for the late President George H.W. Bush –– died Nov. 3 from complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease. He was 84.
“My dad’s devotion to America was deep and substantive,” Cheney’s daughter, former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, said in her eulogy for her father Thursday. “He spent his life studying the history of our great republic. He knew you couldn’t truly appreciate what it means to live in freedom if you didn’t understand the sacrifices of the generations who came before.”
George W. Bush also spoke about Dick Cheney, calling him “my vice president and my friend,” during the service at the Washington National Cathedral.
The historic Episcopal church in Washington D.C. has hosted state funerals for five U.S. presidents, including Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter.
Orlando resident and former U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez reflected on the life of Cheney, who officiated two swearing-in ceremonies for Martinez. The first was when Martinez was appointed HUD secretary under former President George W. Bush, and a few years later when he was elected as U.S. Senator for Florida.
“He was there for me during two of the most important days in my life,” Martinez said.
Martinez shared his perspective before getting on a plane to Washington to attend Cheney’s funeral.
Ybeth Bruzual, Holly Gregory, Phillip Stucky, Jason Delgado, Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press
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