Category: Democrat indicted
Feds charge Democrat and her brother for allegedly stealing millions in FEMA pandemic funds
A federal grand jury in Miami indicted four people, including Democratic U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida, for allegedly stealing millions in federal emergency funds.
Federal prosecutors said in a press release Wednesday that Cherfilus-McCormick used some of the stolen funds to support her 2021 campaign to win election.
‘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.’
The 46-year-old congresswoman was indicted, along with her 51-year-old brother Edwin Cherfilus, for the scheme that involved overpayment to her family health care company.
She is also accused of participating in a straw donor scheme with the funds through the help of 46-year-old Nadege Leblanc, and filing a false federal tax return in 2021 with the aid of her 41-year old tax preparer, David K. Spencer.
If found guilty, Cherfilus-McCormick faces 53 years in prison. Her brother faces up to 35 years, Leblanc faces up to 10 years, and Spencer faces up to 33 years.
“Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” read a statement from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. “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.”
The congresswoman’s allegedly shady campaign practices were first reported by Inside Elections in 2022. The report noted that she had squeaked out a win in the heavily contested election through the use of expensive ads.
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Cherfilus-McCormick was the subject of an ethics investigation by the House Ethics Committee in January 2024, and that probe was reauthorized in July.
The congresswoman denied any wrongdoing at the time.
“The Committee on Ethics has not yet concluded its review of the allegations, and no decision has been made at this time. As outlined in the Committee’s public statement, the referral for further review does not imply that any violation has occurred,” Cherfilus-McCormick said in a statement to Florida Politics. “I fully respect the process and remain committed to cooperating with the Committee as it works to bring this inquiry to a close.”
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Democratic state senator allegedly secretly recorded 2 critics having sex in order to silence them
A Maryland state senator is denying allegations that she threatened to release highly compromising video of a former political consultant to keep her from making public comments about the senator.
Democratic state Sen. Dalya Attar was indicted on charges related to the alleged extortion plot that included her brother Joseph Attar as well as a Baltimore police officer named Kalman Finkelstein.
‘Stay out of this election, the delegate election, and make sure she doesn’t do anything against Dalya throughout this election … or I’ll share this video with everybody you know.’
The three defendants are accused of hiding audio and video recording equipment in the apartment of the consultant in order to gather evidence of her sexual relationship with a married man in 2022. Finkelstein’s family owned the apartment where the woman was living.
They then allegedly threatened to release the recorded evidence unless the two agreed to refrain from making negative statements about Dalya Attar in public. Attar was running for state House delegate at the time.
Prosecutors said that Joseph Attar said to the married man via messages on WhatsApp, “I have hours of footage of you in bed with (Victim 1). Here’s what I need you to do for this to go away permanently.”
Both Dalya Attar and the consultant are members of the Orthodox Jewish community.
“The only thing you need to do is very simple, is to go to (Victim 1) and say to her, ‘Listen, leave Dalya alone. Don’t bring her up anymore to anyone,'” Joseph Attar is accused of saying. “Stay out of this election, the delegate election, and make sure she doesn’t do anything against Dalya throughout this election … or I’ll share this video with everybody you know, everyone she knows, every rabbi in town, your kids, your wife, her daughters.”
RELATED: Congresswoman’s staffer indicted for spreading her intimate videos and photos online
Dalya Attar released a statement denying the allegations.
“I ran for public office because of my strong belief in serving my community that I love, and I would never do anything to knowingly jeopardize my constituents’ trust in me,” she said.
“The case centers on the allegations of my former disgruntled employee. We have yet to see any tangible evidence to support the claim that I knew of any illegal actions taken on my behalf,” Dalya Attar added. “I look forward to sharing my side of the story, and believe the truth will be the arbiter of justice.”
Dalya Attar was indicted on eight counts, including conspiracy, extortion via interstate communications, aiding and abetting, and interception and disclosure of a wire.
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Photo by Karl Merton Ferron/The Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Finkelstein has been suspended since 2022, according to Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley.
“He has not had police powers since 2022,” Worley added. “We’re going to cooperate completely with the indictment.”
Dalya Attar represents Baltimore City and was appointed to fill a vacancy in the state Senate in January.
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