A Florida Democrat just got nailed on 25 out of 27 ethics charges for stealing $5 million in FEMA disaster relief funds and blowing it on Teslas, Tiffany’s jewelry, designer clothes, and luxury cruises. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick — because of course it’s a Democrat — represents everything rotten about her party in one glittering, yellow-diamond package.
Bravo! Standing ovation for this woman’s sheer audacity alone. Most criminals at least try to hide the evidence.
So Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother ran a family healthcare company. They snagged a sweet little FEMA-funded COVID vaccination staffing contract — because nothing says “public service” like a family business feeding at the federal trough during a pandemic. FEMA accidentally overpaid them $5 million instead of $50,000. A clerical error so massive it almost seems like someone at FEMA was in on it. Any halfway decent human being would’ve called and said, “Hey, you guys added a few too many zeroes.” She grabbed the cash and hit the mall.
She dropped $109,000 of stolen disaster money on a 3.14-carat “Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond” ring from Tiffany’s. Then she strapped it on her finger and posed for her official congressional portrait. Just sat there grinning for the taxpayer-funded camera with stolen FEMA money twinkling on her hand like she’d earned it. That ring was supposed to be someone’s rebuilt roof.
(Imagine the photographer: “Nice ring, Congresswoman!” “Thanks, hurricane victims bought it for me!”)
When the indictment dropped, her staff frantically photoshopped the ring out of her Christmas photo. Her chief of staff blamed “well-intentioned individuals seeking to protect the Member’s reputation.” Translation: “We panicked and fired up Photoshop because our boss is a crook.”
At least $3.6 million of the stolen FEMA funds went straight into her congressional campaign war chest. She bought her seat in Congress with disaster relief money — money that was earmarked for families in Florida who lost everything. Democrats screech about “threats to democracy” from sunrise to sunset, but one of their own literally purchased an election with stolen federal cash and Hakeem Jeffries won’t even whisper her name.
Speaking of “Leader” Jeffries — where is that guy? He told reporters he’s “a hard no” on expulsion and when Fox News pressed him on it, he snapped “next question” and shut the whole thing down. Wouldn’t even discuss it. That’s the leader of the House Democrats, folks. A woman in his caucus stole five million dollars from hurricane victims, wore the evidence on her finger in her official portrait, and his response is basically “no comment.” Profiles in courage, right there.
Her defense attorney somehow made the whole thing even more embarrassing. Because Cherfilus-McCormick is of Haitian descent, he argued that a “handshake agreement” to split up millions of dollars without a single scrap of paperwork is “culturally appropriate.” An actual licensed attorney stood up in front of the United States Congress and said that. With a straight face. Perry Mason would’ve thrown a briefcase at him.
AG Pam Bondi nailed it: “Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime.”
Cherfilus-McCormick faces up to 53 years in federal prison. She still swears the whole thing is a “baseless, sham indictment” and — you already know where this is going — she played the race card. Prosecutors “use scare tactics, especially attacking minorities,” she whined. Steal millions from hurricane victims, get caught yellow-diamond-handed, then cry racism when the consequences come knocking. Democrats have run this play so many times the playbook is falling apart at the spine.
And she’s not even original. Gold Bar Bob Menendez stuffed bribe money in his shoes. William Jefferson hid $90,000 in his freezer. Now Cherfilus-McCormick poses for her congressional headshot dripping in stolen FEMA cash. The party that wants to run your healthcare, manage your retirement, and control your kids’ education can’t stop its own members from robbing disaster victims blind.
Enjoy federal prison, sugar-fingers. That yellow diamond is going to look spectacular in your mugshot.
—