Florida Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick found herself at the center of a social media storm on Christmas Day after allegedly altering a holiday greeting photo to remove a conspicuous diamond ring, just weeks following accusations from federal prosecutors that she used misappropriated FEMA funds to acquire the $109,000 piece of jewelry.
As reported by The Post Millennial, the 46-year-old representative shared a festive message on Thursday morning, stating, "From my family to yours, wishing you a Merry Christmas and a joyful, safe holiday season."
The image accompanying her message depicted Cherfilus-McCormick smiling with arms crossed, set against the backdrop of the American and Florida flags, with "MERRY CHRISTMAS" emblazoned across it. Observant social media users quickly pointed out discrepancies between this image and an earlier version, which prominently featured a large yellow diamond ring on her fingerthe same ring mentioned in her recent federal indictment.
Critics circulated screenshots showing a before-and-after comparison, highlighting the digital removal of the ring in the Christmas post. One user humorously remarked, "LMAO. She magic erased the ring she spent $109k in stolen FEMA funds on."
The controversy is rooted in a November 19 indictment by a Miami federal grand jury, which charged Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, with conspiring to embezzle $5 million in FEMA funds, according to the Department of Justice.
The funds were allegedly overpaid to their family-owned healthcare company, Trinity Health Care Services, due to a deliberate decimal point error in an invoice for COVID-19 vaccine registration services provided to Florida's Division of Emergency Management.
Prosecutors allege the siblings laundered the money through various accounts to obscure its origins, with some of the funds purportedly directed into Cherfilus-McCormick's congressional campaign.
The indictment claims she purchased a 3.14-carat Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond ring for $109,000 from a New York City jeweler on September 1, 2021, using a cashier's check, as noted by Miami New Times. This ring was reportedly worn in her official US House portrait.
Federal Election Commission (FEC) records indicate that Cherfilus-McCormick, who was then CEO of Trinity, loaned her 2022 campaign $6.2 million in over 100 increments, aiding her success in both the Democratic primary and general election.
She currently faces 15 charges, including theft, money laundering, and illegal campaign contributions. On November 25, Cherfilus-McCormick was released from custody on a $60,000 bond after entering a plea of not guilty to all charges.
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