Congressional candidate responds to indictment of Miramar rep. who’s suing him
U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Miramar was indicted alongside co-conspirators on accusations that she stole $5 million in FEMA funds and used some of it to fund her 2021 campaign.
She sued two candidates running against her for claiming that she stole the money, but now one candidate says the indictment vindicates his claims.
Elijah Manley is running against Cherfilus-McCormick for her District 20 seat, which represents parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties.
In September, Cherfilus-McCormick filed a defamation lawsuit against Manley seeking $1 million in damages, according to court documents. The lawsuit states that, “Through campaign videos on Instagram and published columns, Defendant has deliberately spread malicious and false statements about Plaintiff, resulting in reputational harm and public discredit.”
Manley told the Miramar News on Nov. 25 that he has not been served yet, but when he is, he will move to dismiss the lawsuit.
“The FBI pretty much verified everything, all my claims, in the indictment … the lawsuit will be completely moot,” he said.
In a campaign video posted to Manley’s account in June, he said, “Our current congressperson, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, took $5.7 million from the taxpayers, and that really shows bad judgment on her part.”
Cherfilus-McCormick received an overpayment of FEMA funds through her former company, Trinity Health Care, located in Miramar, but didn’t give the money back, prosecutors wrote in the indictment unsealed Nov. 20.
In July, Trinity Health Care agreed to a settlement to pay back the funds over 19 years, according to records obtained by WPTV. Meanwhile, Cherfilus-McCormick was under investigation by the U.S. Office of Congressional Ethics starting in November 2023, the outlet reported.
Manley said the indictment has “opened up a lane” for him in the race, removing the usual advantage an incumbent has.
“Some of her supporters are jumping ship and jumping over on our side,” he told the Miramar News.
He also confronted Cheriflus-McCormick about the investigation at a town hall for Broward Young Democrats, of which he is a member, in October. Video posted to the Instagram account RogueDNC shows the two arguing, as each accuses the other of being “disrespectful.”
After the congresswoman reported $6.4 million in income in 2021, a large increase from $86,000 the year before, she also sued candidate Dale V.C. Holness for claiming she stole the money, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
