In 2021, Florida’s Division of Emergency Management loaned money to South Florida’s Trinity Health Care Services to register people for COVID-19 vaccinations. According to the lawsuit, the state meant to pay the amount of $50,578.50. Due to a decimal error, however, the state instead paid $5,057,850.00 to Trinity, $5 million more than the company was slated to be given.
The CEO of the company at the time of the contract was Cherfilus-McCormick, who is now a member of Congress and currently the subject of an “Part of the responsibilities of doing business with the State of Florida is the requirement to return any monies received in error,” Stephanie Houp, FDEM’s deputy executive director and general counsel, wrote in that letter.