CBS12 News confronts Cherfilus-McCormick on taxpayer money tied to family health company

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — The growing controversy involving Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and the nearly $6 million in taxpayer money overpaid to her family’s company, “Trinity Health Care Services”, for their work assisting with the state’s covid response continues.

For weeks now, CBS12 News has been trying to get answers from the congresswoman about where the money went when she was CEO of Trinity.

Now, she has tried again.

The congresswoman was cutting the ribbon for a new business in Riviera Beach, just down the street from the station.

This gave CBS12 News the first opportunity to ask what had happened to these millions of dollars face to face.

Florida’s Department of Emergency Management is suing Trinity because the state accidentally overpaid invoices to the tune of more than $5.7 million.

When FDEM asked Trinity to return those tax dollars, the company claimed they got no response.

Weeks after the lawsuit was filed, Trinity’s lawyers told the I-team they did respond, but the state ignored them.

The overpayments occurred in the spring of 2021 while Cherfilus-McCormick was the CEO of Trinity.

She left the job soon afterward to run for Congress and eventually won the seat formerly held by Alcee Hastings.

But the Office of Congressional Ethics has been investigating her campaign finances, and she reported to them, she got a $6 million raise from Trinity in 2021.

Days after Trinity was overpaid by five million dollars, Cherfilus-McCormick personally loaned her congressional campaign committee $2 million, and she reported making more large loans after that.

CBS12 News tried to get answers from the congresswoman before, but since she was back in the district at an event, we tried again.

The congresswoman ignored our questions and walked out of the event.

Attorneys for her family’s healthcare company aren’t answering the i-team’s questions, either.

Attorneys for the Department of Emergency Management say they won’t comment on ongoing litigation.

Leaving taxpayers and her constituents wondering, what happened to those millions?

For now, a judge has allowed this case to go into mediation.

Attorney Mark Rosen, of Lubell Rosen, who is not involved in this case, told CBS12 News all that means is a person who is certified by the state will work with both parties to resolve the dispute out of court.

If they reach a settlement, Rosen expects it will be made public because “it’s the people’s money.”

If they can’t come to an agreement – it could wind up back in court.