House Democrat Indicted in Massive FEMA Fraud Case

The lawsuit began with a single $5 million overpayment, but it quickly triggered deeper questions about Trinity’s management of significant public contracts during a national crisis.

The House Ethics Committee had already extended its investigation into Cherfilus-McCormick’s dramatic increase in personal income, noting a surge of over $6 million in 2021—far surpassing her earnings from the previous year. Most of that increase was linked to consulting and profit-sharing fees from Trinity, raising further questions about potential conflicts of interest and self-enrichment.

According to the indictment, the FEMA-funded contract in 2021 resulted in an overpayment of roughly $5 million. Prosecutors allege that Cherfilus-McCormick and co-defendant Nadege Leblanc then organized straw-donor schemes, channeling the funds into political donations through friends and relatives, creating the illusion of legitimate contributions.

The scheme allegedly included careful coordination to disguise the source of the money and misrepresent it on official filings.

Born in Brooklyn, Cherfilus-McCormick earned a B.A. from Howard University and a J.D. from St. Thomas University School of Law. She served as CEO of Trinity Healthcare Services before winning a 2022 special election to Congress following the death of longtime Representative Alcee Hastings. Her election made her the only Haitian-American Democrat serving in Congress.Continue reading…