MIAMI (AP) — A Florida congresswoman charged with conspiring to steal $5 million in federal COVID-19 disaster funds formally pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, nearly three months after her indictment.
U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick was not present for the arraignment in Miami federal court, but her attorney, William Barzee, entered the plea on her behalf. He explained that she was in Washington, D.C., where Congress has been debating funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
“She’s eager to get back to work,” Barzee said after the hearing. “She’s up in Washington right now fighting for her constituents, and her main focus is representing the people in her district.”
Cherfilus-McCormick faces 15 federal counts accusing her of misappropriating funds that had been overpaid to her family's health care company, Trinity Healthcare Services, in 2021, prior to her election to Congress. The company was contracted to facilitate COVID-19 vaccination registrations.
In November, Cherfilus-McCormick was arrested and released on a $60,000 bond. The court conditions require her to surrender her personal passport, allowing travel only between Florida, Washington, D.C., Maryland, and the Eastern District of Virginia. However, she retains a congressional passport for performing her duties.
The indictment details that shortly after receiving the funds in 2021, significant amounts were spent on luxury purchases, including over $100,000 on a diamond ring. The funds were mistakenly paid to Trinity Healthcare, following a request for $50,000, resulting in a surplus of $5 million that was not returned.
Cherfilus-McCormick’s attorney expressed astonishment at the government's actions, stating, “It’s surprising that the DOJ would take on a case after it’s been resolved and after there was an agreement to repay all of the funds improperly sent to her.”
She won her seat in January 2022 during a special election for Florida's 20th District, following the death of Rep. Alcee Hastings in 2021. The charges against her include theft of government funds, making and receiving straw donor contributions, aiding in the preparation of a false tax return, and money laundering.
