Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick was slapped with a savage community note on X after a $109,000, 3-carat yellow diamond ring she’s accused of buying with ill-gotten FEMA funds was conspicuously edited out of a photo.
Eagle-eyed X sleuths noticed the pricey, square-cut bauble was missing from a Christmas post from the South Florida Democrat, which bore her official congressional portrait — and a naked left ring finger.
“This portrait of Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick has been altered to remove a ring off of her left hand that she bought using $109K of stolen FEMA funds,” the community note said.
The three-term congresswoman, 46, was indicted last month for allegedly stealing $5 million in FEMA funds to support her 2021 congressional campaign. She has been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee since December 2023.
She and several co-defendants, including her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, 51, “conspired to steal” an overpayment of $5 million in FEMA funds their family health care company received in July 2021 as part of a COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract, prosecutors said.
The 3.14-carat “Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond” ring was purchased with a cashiers’ check by the scandal-scarred pol in September 2021 – about two months after the overpayments, authorities alleged.
Her spokesperson claimed in email to The Post that the photo alteration was done by staff and not signed off by their boss.
“This action was not directed, approved, or authorized by the Congresswoman. It was a staff-level decision made by well-intentioned individuals seeking to protect the Member’s reputation. It was unauthorized and should not have occurred,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“The image is the Congresswoman’s official 2025 portrait, and she has no intention of altering or editing it now or in the future.”
The Post has also sought comment from her legal team.
The FEMA overpayments came through a COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract, but the lawmaker instead used the money to also help fund her 2021 congressional campaign, federal prosecutors alleged.
Cherfilus-McCormick is facing charges of theft of government funds, making and receiving straw donor contributions, aiding and assisting a false and fraudulent statement on a tax return and money laundering.
She’s also facing a conspiracy charge attached to each of those counts, and could spend decades in prison if found guilty.
Her brother, ex-chief of staff and accountant are also facing charges in the alleged scheme that conspired to steal up to $5 million.
