Florida Congresswoman Sheila Cherfils McCormick has faced backlash for her comments related to X after her $109,000 3-carat yellow diamond ring, which she allegedly bought with improperly acquired FEMA funds, was notably edited out of a photo.
Observant users on X spotted that an expensive square-cut ring was absent from a Christmas post shared by the South Florida Democratic Party, where her official Congressional portrait displayed a bare left hand.
“This portrait of Congresswoman Chafferus McCormick has been modified to exclude the ring on her left hand, purchased using $109,000 in stolen FEMA funds,” read a community note regarding the matter.
The 46-year-old legislator, in her third term, was indicted last month on allegations of misappropriating $5 million in FEMA funds intended for her 2021 congressional campaign. Investigations by the House Ethics Committee have been ongoing since December 2023.
According to prosecutors, she and her co-defendants, including her brother Edwin Cherfils, 51, “conspired to steal” an overpayment of $5 million in FEMA funds that her family’s healthcare company received in July 2021 as part of a COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract.
Authorities claim the 3.14-carat “Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond” ring was bought by McCormick using a check in September 2021, just a couple of months post-overpayment.
The newspaper has reached out to her legal team and House office for comments.
It was alleged that these overpayments were meant for staffing related to COVID-19 vaccinations but instead were utilized for funding their 2021 congressional campaigns.
McCormick faces charges that include theft of government funds, receiving straw donations, aiding in the filing of false tax returns, and money laundering. She also has conspiracy charges associated with these offenses and could potentially face decades in prison if found guilty.
Her brother, a former chief of staff and accountant, is similarly charged with conspiring to steal up to $5 million.
Mr. Cherfils has denied any wrongdoing in the case.
“Congresswoman Charfilas McCormick is a devoted public servant committed to her constituents, and we will strive to prove her innocence,” stated her attorneys David Oscar Marx, Margot Moss, and Melissa Madrigal last month.
Users on X quickly took notice of her ring-less portraits with the congresswoman.
Social media commentators swiftly reacted to her holiday message, questioning the absence of the ring, while others celebrated the community’s note. One user commented, “This community note is shocking. You should take pride,” and another added, “The community note is wild.”
