George Santos stole from donors and got expelled from Congress.
A sitting congresswoman got indicted for stealing millions in COVID relief money.
And the moment Republicans moved to throw her out, Democrats formed a wall.
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Stole FEMA Funds and Bought a Diamond Ring
Florida Democrat Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick bought a $109,000 three-carat yellow diamond ring with what federal prosecutors say was stolen COVID relief money – and then wore it in her official congressional portrait.
She won the December 2021 Democratic primary by five votes after federal prosecutors allege she poured $5 million in fraudulently obtained FEMA funds into her campaign.
Her family health care company, Trinity Health Care Services, submitted 17 false invoices to the Florida government for COVID vaccination work – and instead of returning the $5.7 million overpayment, she kept it, spent it, and ran for Congress.
Attorney General Pam Bondi didn't mince words when the indictment dropped in November. She called it "a particularly selfish, cynical crime" and added that "no one is above the law, least of all powerful people who rob taxpayers for personal gain."
Cherfilus-McCormick called it a "sham."
How Cherfilus-McCormick Spent $200K in Taxpayer Funds on a Luxury Chauffeur
From the moment she took office in January 2022, Cherfilus-McCormick started running up a tab with Easy Way Luxury – a Miami chauffeur company that advertises "the pinnacle of luxury and sophistication" to VIP clients "who demand the very best."
Most members of Congress take Ubers. Some drive themselves. Others use a staffer behind the wheel.
Cherfilus-McCormick spent $118,000 on luxury chauffeur rides between 2022 and 2024 – funneled to the company's co-owner Mauricio Pereira De Barros in increments listed in House records as "taxi/ride shares" and "non-technology service contracts."
Then she got indicted in November.
And her luxury chauffeur budget went up.
In 2025 alone – while facing federal fraud charges – she spent $55,000 directly with Easy Way Luxury and another $30,000 to De Barros. That's $85,000 in a single year on a car service that also sells chartered yacht tours, personal shopping at high-end boutiques, and VIP event packages.
The company's motto: "Your journey deserves more than just a ride. It deserves Easy Way Luxury."
Luxury that was funded with taxpayer money.
Watchdog attorney Dan Backer – who filed a criminal referral against Cherfilus-McCormick months before the DOJ indictment – put it plainly:
"I don't know why it would surprise anyone that somebody who is so crooked that she stole taxpayer funding intended to care for people during the COVID emergency to fund her own political campaign is also going to steal from taxpayers to enrich her friends with completely inappropriate luxury cab rides."
Hakeem Jeffries Is Blocking Her Expulsion Vote
The House Ethics Committee found "substantial evidence" supporting the criminal charges and documented 27 separate violations of House rules. Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) is pushing to expel her – the same move that removed George Santos in 2023.
Hakeem Jeffries is blocking it.
Jeffries told reporters the expulsion resolution "is going to fail" – because it takes a two-thirds vote, and Democrats aren't giving him those votes.
The Congressional Black Caucus is standing with her. Democrat after Democrat went to the microphones to invoke the "presumption of innocence."
George Santos faced the same vote and lost his seat. The difference between his case and hers is the letter after the name.
Cherfilus-McCormick is still collecting her congressional salary, still billing taxpayers for luxury rides, and still scheduled for a public Ethics Committee hearing on March 26 – where she'll defend herself against 27 rule violations while her federal trial starts April 20.
She faces up to 53 years in prison.
Her luxury chauffeur spending went up after the indictment dropped. Not before. After. When any normal person would be cutting expenses, lying low, and trying to look like they take the charges seriously – she billed taxpayers $85,000 in a single year for a car service that doubles as a luxury concierge.
That's not recklessness. That's contempt.
The indictment didn't change her behavior because she doesn't believe the rules apply to her – and Hakeem Jeffries is making sure they don't.
Sources:
- Andrew Kerr, "Indicted Dem Rep Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Spent $200,000 in Taxpayer Funds on Luxury Chauffeur Service," Washington Free Beacon, March 17, 2026.
- Andrew Kerr, "Florida Congresswoman Indicted for Stealing $5 Million in Taxpayer Funds To Bankroll Her Campaign," Washington Free Beacon, November 20, 2025.
- Andrew Kerr, "How a Florida Congresswoman and Her Family Allegedly Siphoned Millions From Taxpayers To Fund Her Campaign," Washington Free Beacon, August 25, 2025.
- Washington Times, "Greg Steube Pauses Expulsion Vote on Fellow Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick," February 3, 2026.
- Axios, "Republican to Force Vote on Expelling Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick from Congress," January 30, 2026.