EXPOSED: Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Faces 53 YEARS for Stealing $5 Million in Disaster Relief!
A federal grand jury in Miami on Wednesday indicted Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and several co-defendants on charges that they stole about $5 million in FEMA disaster-relief funds and funneled the money into her 2021 congressional campaign, the Justice Department announced.
According to the indictment, Cherfilus-McCormick — who represents Florida’s 20th District in Broward and Palm Beach counties — and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, diverted an overpayment tied to a COVID-19 vaccination-staffing contract awarded to their family’s home-health-care company, Newsweek reported.
Prosecutors allege the money was moved through multiple accounts to conceal its source, with a significant share ultimately directed from the FEMA-funded contract into political contributions.
The indictment also accuses the congresswoman of conspiring with her tax preparer to file a false federal tax return.
The ongoing ethics and criminal investigations continue to overshadow the congresswoman’s already troubled reputation, even prior to this indictment.
If found guilty, she could face a prison sentence of up to 53 years, while her brother could receive up to 35 years, prosecutors said.
The indictment comes as Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, is already under increased scrutiny for her family company’s pandemic-era finances.
In late 2024, Florida’s Division of Emergency Management filed suit against Trinity Healthcare Services — the firm she led before entering Congress — alleging the company overcharged the state by nearly $5.8 million for COVID-19 vaccine registration services and refused to repay the funds.
State officials said the dispute surfaced after a single $5 million overpayment triggered alarms, raising broader questions about Trinity’s handling of major public contracts during the pandemic, Newsweek reported.
The allegations in Florida have sparked an ethics investigation into the congresswoman’s significant increase in personal income. According to the Office of Congressional Ethics, Cherfilus-McCormick’s earnings in 2021 surpassed her income from the previous year by over $6 million.
The increase was largely attributed to nearly $5.75 million in consulting and profit-sharing fees from Trinity, the outlet reported.
In July, the House Ethics Committee unanimously voted to extend its investigation into whether she improperly benefited from the company’s government contracts, placing her under rare bipartisan scrutiny even before the federal indictment issued on Wednesday.
According to the indictment, the family company received a FEMA-funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract in 2021 and in July of that year received an overpayment of about $5 million.
Prosecutors say the defendants conspired to divert those funds and subsequently created straw-donor schemes: The indictment contends that Cherfilus-McCormick and co-defendant Nadege Leblanc arranged for friends and relatives to “donate” money to the campaign that actually came from the illicit FEMA funds.
The document also charges her and preparer David K. Spencer with conspiring to file a false tax return by mislabeling campaign expenditures and personal expenses as business deductions and inflating charitable contributions to reduce tax liabilities, Newsweek noted.
Born in Brooklyn, Cherfilus-McCormick holds a B.A. from Howard University and a J.D. from St. Thomas University School of Law. Before her 2022 special-election victory, she served as CEO of Trinity Health Care Services, the Miramar-based company now at the center of the contract dispute.
She won the seat following the death of longtime Rep. Alcee Hastings, becoming the only Haitian-American Democrat currently serving in Congress.
“Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime. 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,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said.
Elijah Manley, who is running against Cherfilus-McCormick in the Democratic primary for her House seat, noted on the X platform, “Today’s indictment of my opponent, Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, is a sad moment for the people of Florida’s 20th Congressional District.
I am disappointed that the Congresswoman for abusing the power she was given and instead used it to enrich herself and her family. The people of FL-20 are ready to move past this era of fraud, corruption, and distractions.”
The $4.9 Million Admission: What The DOJ Desperately Didn’t Want You To Know About Ashli Babbitt.
Nearly four and a half years after Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd fatally shot Ashli Babbitt during the breach of the U.S. Capitol, her husband signed a settlement agreement on June 6 to resolve his $30 million wrongful death lawsuit against the federal government.
The settlement includes a payout of $4.975 million, though other terms were not immediately disclosed, The Blaze reported.
“This fair settlement is a historic and necessary step for justice for Ashli Babbitt’s family. Ashli should never have been killed, and this settlement destroys the evil, partisan narrative that justified her outrageous killing and protected her killer,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
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Twenty-five percent of the settlement will be placed in a trust account pending the outcome of a potential claim by Ashli Babbitt’s former attorney, Terrell N. Roberts III. Earlier this year, Roberts filed a motion to intervene in the case, asserting that he is entitled to 40% of any settlement awarded.
Roberts ended his professional relationship with Aaron Babbitt in early 2022. Babbitt’s Washington-based attorney, Richard Driscoll, has since requested that the dispute be resolved through the Attorney/Client Arbitration Board of the D.C. Bar.
Contrary to repeated claims in mainstream media, Judicial Watch handled the wrongful-death lawsuit on a pro bono basis.
While the federal government did not admit liability as part of the settlement, the agreement is seen by some as a tacit acknowledgment by the Department of Justice that Byrd acted recklessly and used excessive force when he emerged from a concealed position near the House Speaker’s Lobby and fatally shot Babbitt as she climbed through a sidelight window just outside the chamber doors.
The wrongful death lawsuit, filed on January 5, 2024, alleged that Byrd acted negligently in handling his Glock 22 sidearm and was reckless when he fired into the crowded hallway outside the Speaker’s Lobby.
The complaint also accused the U.S. Capitol Police of negligence in supervising Byrd, citing his disciplinary record, which includes discharging his firearm at a fleeing vehicle near his residence in 2004 and once leaving his service weapon on a toilet tank in the Capitol Visitor Center.
According to court filings in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Aaron Babbitt submitted claims against the Capitol Police in June and September 2021, with additional filings in February 2022 and January 2023.
The lawsuit was filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act, naming the federal government as the defendant, including the U.S. Capitol Police as a component agency.
According to the complaint, Byrd fired the shot that struck Ashli, a 14-year Air Force vet, in the left anterior shoulder at 2:44 p.m. on January 6, 2021. The bullet “perforated her left brachial plexus, trachea, upper lobe of the right lung, and second anterior rib before coming to rest in her right anterior shoulder,” the filing states.
“Video recordings show her alive and conscious, writhing uncontrollably immediately after the shooting,” the suit stated. “Ashli remained conscious for minutes or longer after being shot by Lt. Byrd. Ashli experienced extreme pain, suffering, mental anguish and intense fear before slipping into pre-terminal unconsciousness.”
“Furthermore, nothing about the wound track described in the autopsy report would be expected to result in immediate death or instantaneous loss of consciousness,” the suit said, “and Ashli’s lungs contained blood, further confirming that she was alive and breathing after being shot.”
Although Byrd claimed that he feared for his life at the time he shot Babbitt, he “later confessed that he shot Ashli before seeing her hands or assessing her intentions or even identifying her as female,” the lawsuit said. “Ashli was unarmed. Her hands were up in the air, empty and in plain view of Lt. Byrd and officers in the lobby.
“Ashli posed no threat to the safety of anyone,” the suit said.
John Kennedy’s Latest Comments Have Reopened the Epstein Debate in a Big Way
John Kennedy’s Latest Comments Have Reopened the Epstein Debate in a Big Way
Sen. Kennedy Raises New Concerns About Epstein Case Amid Ongoing Tensions
“Ornaments, Drywall, and Epstein”: Senator Kennedy Slams “Shady” Investigation as FBI Director Faces Heated Grill over Trump and Sex Trafficking Files
The halls of Congress became the staging ground for a high-stakes battle over truth, accountability, and the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein this week. In a series of explosive testimonies that have sent shockwaves through social media, the Director of the FBI and officials from the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) were subjected to a blistering interrogation by lawmakers who reflect the deep-seated skepticism of the American public. The central theme was clear: the official narrative surrounding the death of Jeffrey Epstein is failing the test of public trust, and the demand for transparency regarding his co-conspirators has reached a fever pitch.
Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, known for his sharp wit and folksy but lethal metaphors, set the tone for the proceedings with a remark that immediately went viral. “Christmas ornaments, drywall, and Jerry Epstein—name three things that don’t hang themselves,” Kennedy quipped, succinctly capturing the prevailing sentiment of millions of Americans. His opening salvo wasn’t just a clever line; it was a direct challenge to the Bureau of Prisons’ finding that Epstein’s death in August 2019 was a simple suicide. Kennedy emphasized that the American people “deserve some answers” and urged officials not to rush the investigation, but to treat it with the “top priority” it warrants.
The testimony of Dr. Sawyer, representing the BOP, revealed the systemic failures that allowed such a high-profile prisoner to perish while under federal watch. When questioned about the specifics of Epstein’s confinement, Sawyer admitted that the death of such a high-profile individual indicates either a “major malfunction of the system or criminal enterprise.” He described the tiers of suicide watch, explaining that while Epstein had been on a strict watch initially—stripped of everything but a mattress and a coarse gown—the system failed when he was moved to “psychological observation.” Despite claims that inmates on such observation are “watched and scrutinized every moment,” Epstein was reportedly alone and unmonitored at the time of his death.
The emotional core of the hearing focused on the victims—the women and girls who were raped and trafficked by Epstein and his associates. Lawmakers argued that Epstein’s death wasn’t just a prison failure; it was a theft of justice. By allowing Epstein to die before he could testify against his co-conspirators, the “bastard” was able to protect his circle from beyond the grave, leaving his victims with their “hearts ripped out.” The Director was criticized for the “management matter” of treating Epstein like any other inmate, with senators arguing that someone with his level of information should have been the highest priority for protection to ensure the integrity of future criminal investigations.
As the focus shifted to the FBI’s role, the tension escalated into a near-total breakdown of decorum. The Director was grilled on the “Epstein files” and the specific mention of high-profile names, including Donald Trump. In a series of evasive maneuvers, the Director claimed he had not reviewed the entirety of the files personally, despite it being the “largest sex trafficking case the FBI has ever been a part of.” When pushed to provide a number of times Trump’s name appeared in the documents, the Director refused to give a specific count, stating only that “it’s not a thousand” and “it’s not a hundred,” while accusing lawmakers of engaging in “political innuendo.”
The exchange turned personal and vitriolic as the Director defended his record, citing his work in reducing crime and child trafficking, while lawmakers accused him of “hiding pedophiles” and playing a “cute shell game” with the law. Reference was made to Judge Richard Berman, who previously noted that the information released to the public “pales in comparison” to the materials held by the Department of Justice. The hearing concluded with a dramatic refusal by the Director to recuse himself from investigations involving individuals he had previously labeled “government gangsters” in his own book, leading to a final, bitter standoff over the “disgrace” of the proceedings.
This hearing has made one thing undeniably certain: the Epstein saga is far from over. As technology like drone drops and advanced surveillance cameras become the new frontline for prison security, the focus remains on the old-fashioned failures of human oversight and the potential for deep-seated corruption. For the victims, the wait for the “entire truth” continues, as the wall of government secrecy remains stubbornly intact.
Panic Behind the Scenes? New Claims Put Pete Hegseth Under Heavy Scrutiny
Hegseth in Panic Mode as Troops Revolt and Leak Damaging Photos He Tried to Keep Hidden
Troops in Revolt: Leaked ‘Nightmare’ Photos Reveal Starvation and Chaos Under Pete Hegseth’s Leadership
In the high-stakes theater of American defense, the image of the stoic, well-supplied soldier is a cornerstone of national pride. However, a series of explosive leaks from within the ranks of the U.S. Navy and the Pentagon has shattered that facade, painting a devastating picture of a military in crisis. At the center of this storm is Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, whose tenure is now being defined not by strategic brilliance, but by a “nightmare” scenario of logistical collapse, plummeting morale, and an unprecedented revolt from the very troops he is tasked with leading.
The crisis reached a fever pitch this week as service members aboard major aircraft carriers, including the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald R. Ford, began leaking photos of the meals they are being served. These images, which have quickly gone viral, show “grim meals” consisting of dry patties, plastic-looking carrots, and a single tortilla on otherwise empty plastic trays. One sailor on the USS Abraham Lincoln described the situation in stark terms: “The food is tasteless and there’s not nearly enough and they’re hungry all the time.” For a military that prides itself on being the best-fed and best-equipped force in the world, these revelations are a staggering indictment of current leadership.
The logistical failure extends beyond the galley. Families of service members are reporting a total breakdown in the military postal system, with the U.S. Postal Service temporarily suspending mail delivery to 27 military zip codes. Parents have spent thousands of dollars on care packages that sit in transit with no clear delivery timeline, leaving their children to ration what little food they have. One mother from Texas, whose son is aboard the USS Tripoli, shared that her family has spent over $2,000 on supplies that have never reached him, forcing sailors to “ration and share food” just to get by.
In the face of these failures, Secretary Hegseth has reportedly spiraled into a state of panic. Rather than addressing the systemic issues within his department, Hegseth has taken to the public stage to attack the media, labeling journalists as “Pharisees” and accusing them of having “hardened hearts” calibrated only to impugn his leadership. Critics argue that this aggressive rhetoric is a desperate attempt to deflect attention from his own unpopularity and the growing dissatisfaction within the MAGA wing of the Pentagon. Recent data suggests that Hegseth is uniquely unpopular, sitting 30 points underwater in net popularity—a sharp contrast to historical figures like Donald Rumsfeld or Dick Cheney during similar conflicts.
The tension is further amplified by reports that Hegseth fears he is on Donald Trump’s “chopping block.” His public outbursts and constant “ass-kissing” of the President are seen by many as a survival tactic to avoid being fired in the middle of the escalating conflict with Iran.Meanwhile, the contrast between the treatment of troops and high-profile criminals has become a flashpoint for public anger. Social media users have pointed out that sex criminal Ghislaine Maxwell is reportedly “eating better” in her “five-star resort” prison than our men and women in uniform, who are being sent to risk their lives in a war many feel serves the interests of the elite “Epstein class” rather than American citizens.
As Donald Trump gears up for a $1.5 trillion defense budget, the question of where that money is going has become central to the debate. While billions are earmarked for tech giants and AI development, the basic needs of the frontline defenders—food, mail, and morale—are being ignored. The leaked photos from the ships are more than just a complaint about “slop”; they are a cry for help from a military that feels abandoned by its civilian leaders.
The situation under Pete Hegseth is no longer just a matter of political disagreement; it is a full-scale revolt fueled by the most basic of human needs. As morale reaches an all-time low and the “holy war” narrative fails to satisfy hungry stomachs, the pressure on the Pentagon to change course is reaching a breaking point. For the families of those serving, the message is clear: our service members deserve so much better than this.
