Far-Left Democrat City Councilor Arrested on Charges of Corruption, Bribery
Democratic city councilor in Boston, Tania Fernandes Anderson, was arrested on Friday morning on charges of funneling tax dollars through federal employees to hide her personal debts.
Anderson, a former illegal immigrant, was arrested on charges of five counts of aiding and abetting wire fraud and one count of aiding and abetting theft concerning a program receiving federal funds.
According to the office of U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy, she will be arraigned at a Boston federal courthouse.
According to the filing, Fernandes Anderson brazenly schemed to award one of her City Hall employees a $13,000 bonus, which she partially clawed back during a clandestine bathroom encounter.
The encounter was recorded in text messages.
Fernandes Anderson directed “Staff Member A,” someone “related to her but not an immediate family member,” to go into a City Hall bathroom and hand her $7,000 in cash. This kickback came from the tax dollars used to give the original bonus.
“At defendant Fernandes Anderson’s instructions, Fernandes Anderson and Staff Member A arranged to meet at a bathroom at City Hall where Staff Member A would hand approximately $7,000 in cash to Fernandes Anderson,” court documents said.
The pair exchanged messages about the drop, and “shortly following these texts, Staff Member A handed Fernandes Anderson Approximately $7,000 in cash at a bathroom in City Hall.”
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A video from the encounter with Justice Department officials shows Fernandes Anderson walking to the waiting SUVs of federal officers before being cuffed and placed in one of the vehicles.
Watch
During a press conference, Levy said it was clear Anderson was having financial difficulties at home, which led her to construct a criminal scheme to boost her $115,000 annual salary.
“When her constituents elected Ms. Fernandez Anderson, she had a fundamental obligation to act with the utmost integrity,” Levy said.
“Public officials who line their pockets with taxpayer money erode the trust and confidence of the public and the officials who serve them. Public service is a privilege, and all of us in public service service have a duty to act with integrity and fairness in all that we do.”
As early as 2023, Fernandes Anderson began missing car and rent payments , according to Court records obtained by the Herald
The State Ethics Commission later hit her with $5,000 fine after hiring immediate family members into her city council office, violating conflict of interest laws
Each wire fraud charge carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The charge of theft concerning programs carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Fernandes Anderson was known to have occasional outbursts against white members of the city council.
During a council meeting in 2022, where she spoke in support of a progressive colleague facing rape allegations, Anderson [pulled out the race card.
“What the f*** to I have to do to get respect from this council as a Black woman?” she screamed, pounding the table and earning a gaveling from the council president.
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