FBI agents arrested Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson (D) Friday morning on public corruption charges.
Anderson is facing five counts of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds according to a court filing by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Federal prosecutors allege that in late 2022, Fernandes Anderson added two family members to her staff and defrauded the city by proposing an arrangement so the employee would get “additional compensation but would kickback most of this bonus pay.”
“From in or about early to mid-2023, Fernandes Anderson was facing personal financial difficulty, which included missing monthly rent and car payments, an impending $5,000 civil penalty from the Ethics Commission, and incurring bank overdraft fees, which resulted in Fernandes Anderson maintaining low daily bank balances,” read the filing, which was obtained by the Boston Globe.
“On or about June 9, 2023, at approximately 4:11 p.m., Staff Member A texted Fernandes Anderson, “Bathroom” to let Fernandes Anderson know that Staff Member A was waiting in the bathroom to hand the $7,000 cash to Fernandes Anderson,” the court document continued. “Within seconds, Fernandes Anderson texted Staff Member A, “Ready” to confirm that Fernandes Anderson was ready to accept the $7,000 cash kickback from Staff Member A.
“Shortly following these texts, Staff Member A handed Fernandes Anderson approximately $7,000 in cash at a bathroom in City Hall.”
Boston City Councilors are not permitted to hire immediate family members to their paid staff.
Prosecutors say Fernandes Anderson later fired those two employees and was informed by the Ethics Commission of a $5,000 fine relating to the incident.
According to Fox News, the Massachusetts’ Office of Campaign and Political Finance informed her campaign last month that it took contributions over the legal limit and failed to file deposit information in a timely manner.
“Her behavior, as alleged in today’s indictment, is a slap in the face to the hardworking taxpayers in the city of Boston who have every right to expect that the city’s funds are in good and honest hands,” Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen said in a statement. “This case illustrates how the FBI, and our partners, are working hard every day to battle public corruption and the corrosive damage it does to people’s faith in government.”
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