WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — CBS12 News has spent months trying toget answers from Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick regarding a $5.8 million overpayment her company, Trinity Health Care Services, received from the State of Florida. According to the state, it mistakenly overpaid Trinity while Cherfilus-McCormick was the CEO. Now, the state wants that money back and claims the congresswoman’s company never responded to its requests.
Despite numerous attempts, Cherfilus-McCormick has not addressed the issue publicly. At a recent town hall event in Pompano Beach, her media team barred CBS12 News from entering, stating that media was not allowed inside, even though the event was open to the public. They also declined to arrange an interview with the congresswoman.
Her staff later issued a statement: “Our office has repeatedly confirmed that this is not an official matter that can be discussed or addressed during her official duties. Therefore, the office cannot offer you any comment.” Essentially, they argued that since the overpayment occurred while Cherfilus-McCormick was in the private sector, she cannot officially comment on it.
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The state of Florida has filed a lawsuit to recover the overpaid funds, explaining that it was supposed to pay Trinity $50,578.50 but, due to a clerical error, mistakenly paid over $5 million. The lawsuit states: “Trinity accepted this payment that was 100 times greater than it knew it should have received.” The claim is now in mediation in Leon County, where the Department of Emergency Management is headquartered.
Simultaneously, a congressional ethics investigation is examining potential campaign finance irregularities involving Cherfilus-McCormick, including the source of millions of dollars she personally loaned to her campaign. In 2021, shortly after the state claims it overpaid Trinity, Cherfilus-McCormick’s campaign manager boasted about her finances, stating that she was self-funding her campaign.
Campaign records reveal that less than one percent of the money she spent on her 2021 campaign came from individual donations, with 88%—nearly four million dollars—being self-financed.
While candidates are allowed to use their own money to finance their campaigns, they must disclose the source of those funds. CBS12 News will continue to seek answers from Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick regarding the millions of taxpayer dollars and will follow the ongoing ethics investigation in Washington.
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