On Wednesday, a federal grand jury indicted U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick for allegedly stealing $5 million in disaster funds and using them to fund part of her 2021 campaign.

The Democrat, representing Florida’s 20th District, allegedly misused overpayments from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), using a COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract​​. These funds were routed through her family’s health care business before she entered Congress, NPR reports.

Cherfilus-McCormick was elected to Congress in 2022 in a special election after the death of Alcee Hastings in 2021. Court documents indicate that Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, attempted to launder the money through multiple streams in an effort to shield the source.

A Florida state agency sued Cherfilus-McCormick’s family health-care company in December 2024. The state claimed they were overcharged by $5.8 million, and Cherfilus-McCormick refused to give the money back.

"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."

The indictment also alleges that the congresswoman and Nadege Leblanc orchestrated additional contributions using straw donors, "funneling other monies from the FEMA-funded COVID-19 contract to friends and relatives who then donated to the campaign as if using their own money."

The DOJ also shared that David K. Spencer, her 2021 tax preparer, is also charged with conspiring to file a false tax return. The indictment alleges that he “inflated charitable contributions in order to reduce her tax obligations.”

If convicted, Cherfilus-McCormick could face up to 53 years in prison, while her brother could face up to 35 years behind bars. Leblanc faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, and Spencer faces up to 33 years in prison.