A Florida congresswoman, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, has been indicted on charges of embezzling $5 million in federal disaster funds. The 46-year-old Democrat, elected to Congress in 2022, is accused of laundering a portion of the misappropriated Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds into her 2021 election campaign. The alleged fraud was orchestrated through Trinity Healthcare Services, a company she co-owned with her brother, Edwin Chefilus, who is also implicated in the scheme. The company had secured a FEMA contract to register individuals for COVID-19 vaccines but reportedly received an overpayment of $5 million in July 2021. Prosecutors claim the siblings attempted to conceal the money’s origin by funneling it through multiple accounts, with a significant portion allegedly used to finance her congressional bid. Additionally, funds were reportedly diverted to friends and relatives, who then contributed to her campaign as personal donations. Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the act as a ‘particularly selfish, cynical crime,’ emphasizing that no one is above the law. If convicted, Cherfilus-McCormick faces up to 53 years in prison. She has vehemently denied the charges, calling the indictment ‘unjust and baseless,’ and vowed to clear her name. The House Ethics Committee is also investigating her conduct, and Florida Republican Congressman Greg Steube has proposed a resolution to expel her from Congress, citing the severity of the allegations.