Outside a Miami federal courthouse Monday, U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick told reporters that she did not steal any funds, reiterating her innocence as she faced federal charges accusing her of conspiring to steal $5 million in COVID-19 disaster funds.
Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat, was scheduled to be arraigned, but her attorney asked that the proceeding be moved to Jan. 20 so she could finalize her legal team. Prosecutors did not object, and Judge Lisette Reid agreed to the rescheduling. The hearing lasted less than five minutes.
When she left the courthouse, Cherfilus-McCormick said, “I just want to make it very clear that I am innocent,” adding, “In no way did I steal any kind of funds. I’m committed to the people of Florida and my district,” according to the Associated Press.
Her attorney, David Oscar Markus, said the case “involves mistakes that generally aren’t even misdemeanors, let alone felonies,” and he said he believes the case is politically motivated. Cherfilus-McCormick has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors accuse Cherfilus-McCormick of stealing funds overpaid to her family’s health care company, Trinity Healthcare Services, in 2021. The company had a contract to register people for COVID-19 vaccinations, according to the indictment described by prosecutors in court reporting.
The indictment says that within two months of the funds being received, more than $100,000 was spent on a 3-carat yellow diamond ring for the congresswoman. It also says that after her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, requested $50,000, the company mistakenly received $5 million and did not return the difference.
Prosecutors also alleged that payments received by Trinity Healthcare were routed to various accounts, including to friends and relatives who then donated to Cherfilus-McCormick’s campaign for Congress. The charges she faces include theft of government funds, making and receiving straw donor contributions, and aiding and assisting a false and fraudulent statement on a tax return, along with money laundering and conspiracy charges tied to each of those counts.
Cherfilus-McCormick was arrested in November and was freed on a $60,000 bond. In addition to bail, Judge Reid ordered her to surrender her personal passport and limited her travel to Florida, Washington, D.C., Maryland and the Eastern District of Virginia, while allowing her to keep a congressional passport so she could perform certain job duties.
A prior statement provided by Cherfilus-McCormick’s chief of staff said she does not plan to resign from office. In court reporting, Cherfilus-McCormick said she cooperated with “every lawful request” and would continue to do so until the matter is resolved.
Her current seat in Congress traces to a special election in January 2022, when she won to represent Florida’s 20th District, after Rep. Alcee Hastings died in 2021. The district includes parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties.
The case returns the dispute to a pretrial posture in which prosecutors will seek to prove the allegations, while Cherfilus-McCormick maintains she did nothing wrong.