Democrat Congresswoman Surrenders To Authorities
mbattled Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) quietly entered a Miami federal courthouse Tuesday, posting bond as she confronts a sweeping indictment alleging she diverted millions in disaster relief funds. The congresswoman had surrendered to authorities earlier in the day and appeared in court shackled at the wrists, while her husband watched from the gallery looking visibly distressed.
Federal prosecutors accuse Cherfilus-McCormick of helping siphon $5 million in FEMA relief money through a family-owned company, with a portion of the funds allegedly funneled into her own congressional campaign. The 15-count indictment includes charges of theft of government funds, money laundering, straw donor schemes, and filing false tax returns. If convicted on all counts, she faces more than 50 years in prison and over $2 million in fines.
Cherfilus-McCormick acknowledged the charges during her initial appearance before a federal judge. Afterward, her temporary attorney, Lauren Krasnoff of Markus & Ross, blasted the prosecution, arguing that recent cases show “this government is willing to charge and indict and arrest somebody without actual evidence.” Krasnoff also doubled down when pressed on comments suggesting Black lawmakers are being unfairly targeted.
A judge approved the congresswoman’s release on a $25,000 personal surety bond plus 5% of an additional $35,000 bond, allowing her to leave the courthouse after paying $1,750. She must surrender her personal passport but may retain her congressional one, and her travel is now limited to South Florida, Washington, D.C., Maryland, and the Eastern District of Virginia.
Krasnoff maintained her client’s innocence, telling reporters they intend to clear her name. Cherfilus-McCormick’s next court appearance is scheduled for December 29, when she will be formally arraigned and finalize her legal representation.
Trump Tells Schumer ‘Go to Hell’ After Senate Dems Block His Nominees
Hours after President Donald Trump told Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to “go to hell” in a fiery social media post Saturday, the Senate adjourned for summer break without reaching an agreement on confirming his pending nominees.
Sources familiar with the talks told CNN that Senate GOP Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), Schumer (D-N.Y.), and White House officials had been locked in tense negotiations aimed at breaking the impasse and allowing lawmakers to return to their home states.
According to the sources, Schumer had demanded the release of certain federal funds and sought assurances that Trump would not pursue another budget-cutting legislative package before agreeing to any deal, CNN noted.
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Schumer Uses Hours-Long Tactic to Stall Vote on Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’
But, on social media, Trump called Schumer’s demands “egregious and unprecedented,” a sign that talks had gotten nowhere.
Trump had pushed for the Senate to confirm his nominees, even if it meant forgoing the August recess, but his post made clear he had no intention of conceding to the Democrats’ demands.“Senator Cryin’ Chuck Schumer is demanding over One Billion Dollars in order to approve a small number of our highly qualified nominees, who should right now be helping to run our Country. This demand is egregious and unprecedented, and would be embarrassing to the Republican Party if it were accepted. It is political extortion, by any other name,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“Tell Schumer, who is under tremendous political pressure from within his own party, the Radical Left Lunatics, to GO TO HELL! Do not accept the offer, go home and explain to your constituents what bad people the Democrats are, and what a great job the Republicans are doing, and have done, for our Country. Have a great RECESS and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!,” Trump added.
On Saturday night, Thune took to the Senate floor to request unanimous consent for the chamber to vote on a select group of nominations before adjourning for a month-long recess.
Democrats had been slow-walking President Trump’s lower-level nominees, prompting Senate GOP Leader John Thune to keep the chamber in session over the weekend to push them through. Though in the minority, Democrats wield procedural tools that can force Republicans to clear time-consuming hurdles before votes can take place.
According to sources familiar with the talks, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made several demands in exchange for expediting a batch of confirmations. These included unfreezing federal funds for programs like the National Institutes of Health and foreign aid, as well as securing a promise from Trump not to pursue another round of spending cuts—following a $9 billion rescissions package passed earlier this summer.
At a Saturday night press conference, Schumer said Democrats were “serious” about negotiating a “reasonable path” to bipartisan confirmation of nominees, but said the president refused to accept their terms, CNN said.
All said, however, Democrats are finding themselves in an increasingly perilous situation some 15 months before the midterm elections. The party is at historically low levels of approval, according to a series of polls this year, and fundraising has fallen far short of GOP efforts.
In fact, Trump’s campaign and allied political committees have already met his ambitious $1.4 billion fundraising goal — more than a year ahead of schedule — setting the stage for what insiders say will be record-breaking spending in the midterms.
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Trump set the goal shortly after securing a second term, vowing to use his political operation to protect House and Senate Republicans and ensure one-party control of Congress throughout his presidency, The New York Post reported.
The $1.4 billion target was first revealed in May, when Trump’s team disclosed a $600 million haul — already a historic figure. On Friday, they announced the goal had been met in full through a combination of cash on hand and pledged donations, funneled through the Republican National Committee and his super PAC, Make America Great Again, Inc.
