WASHINGTON D.C. – A sitting United States Congresswoman, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday, 19 November 2025, on charges of orchestrating a scheme to steal $5 million in federal COVID-19 disaster relief funds to finance her 2021 political campaign. The indictment, announced by the U.S. Department of Justice, presents a case of alleged public corruption that, while rooted in American politics, resonates deeply with Kenya's ongoing battle against the misuse of public funds.

According to the official indictment, Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, 51, allegedly exploited a government contract awarded to their family healthcare company. The company was contracted to provide COVID-19 vaccination staffing, a program funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the primary U.S. agency for disaster response. Prosecutors state that in July 2021, the company received an accidental overpayment of $5 million from FEMA.

Instead of returning the taxpayer money, the defendants allegedly conspired to steal it, routing the funds through multiple bank accounts to obscure their origin. “A substantial portion of the misappropriated funds was used as candidate contributions to Cherfilus-McCormick's 2021 congressional campaign and for the personal benefit of the defendants,” the Justice Department stated.

The indictment further details a coordinated effort to violate campaign finance laws. Cherfilus-McCormick and a staffer, Nadege Leblanc, 46, are accused of arranging illegal “straw donor” contributions, where the stolen FEMA funds were given to friends and relatives to donate to the campaign in their own names. Additionally, the congresswoman and her tax preparer, David K. Spencer, 41, face charges of conspiring to file a false federal tax return by improperly claiming political and personal expenses as business deductions. If convicted on all charges, Cherfilus-McCormick could face a maximum sentence of 53 years in prison.

“Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi in a statement released on Wednesday. “No one is above the law, least of all powerful people who rob taxpayers for personal gain.”

A Familiar Echo for Kenyans

While the alleged crimes occurred thousands of kilometres away, the narrative is strikingly familiar to the Kenyan public. The case against the US lawmaker mirrors the scandals that have plagued Kenya, most notably the multi-billion shilling "COVID millionaires" scandal at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA). In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, KEMSA was accused of massive procurement irregularities, flouting regulations to award tenders worth approximately KSh 7.8 billion for COVID-19 supplies, often to politically connected firms.

A special audit by Kenya's Auditor General revealed that KEMSA irregularly diverted funds intended for Universal Health Coverage to procure COVID-19 items, leading to an over-procurement of stock worth KSh 6.3 billion and a potential loss to taxpayers of KSh 2.3 billion. The parallels are clear: in both the US and Kenyan cases, funds designated for a public health emergency were allegedly diverted for personal or political enrichment by those in positions of trust.

Furthermore, the alleged use of federal funds for political campaigning in Florida echoes concerns in Kenya over the use of state resources during election periods. The diversion of public money, whether from disaster relief or other state budgets, to fund political activities undermines democratic processes and creates an uneven playing field. The indictment of a high-ranking US official serves as a global reminder that robust legal and institutional oversight is critical to safeguarding public resources.

The Global Fight for Accountability

The United States, through agencies like USAID, is a significant donor of humanitarian and disaster aid to Kenya, providing assistance for everything from drought relief to flood response. In December 2023, USAID provided $1 million for immediate assistance following catastrophic floods in Kenya. This relationship underscores the shared interest in ensuring that aid and public funds are used transparently and for their intended purpose. The alleged theft of FEMA funds in the U.S. highlights the universal vulnerability of such funds to corruption, whether domestic or international.

The legal process against Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick will now proceed through the US federal court system. Her attorneys have stated they will fight the charges to clear her name. For observers in Kenya and across the globe, the case is more than a local political drama; it is a test of accountability and a powerful case study in the relentless, worldwide struggle to protect public funds from corruption.