Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is urging Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson to resign after being arrested on federal public corruption charges.
Fernandes Anderson was arrested around 6:30 a.m. Friday morning at her Dorchester home on federal public corruption charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Massachusetts and FBI Boston.
Fernandes Anderson, who represents Roxbury, Dorchester, and part of the South End, is charged with five counts of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, according to an 11-page federal indictment.
She pleaded not guilty to the charges in federal court Friday afternoon, still wearing the winter parka she had on when she was arrested hours earlier.
“The city has to continue doing our business and making sure that what our residents need is getting addressed as quickly and as effectively as possible,” said Mayor Wu on Saturday morning.
Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson arrested on federal public corruption charges
The indictment alleges that Fernandes Anderson launched a kickback scheme by hiring someone related to her in late 2022. It’s further alleged that she falsely represented to the city that she and the staff member were not related.
As part of the scheme, Fernandes Anderson allegedly agreed to pay the staffer a $13,000 bonus on the condition that part of it would be returned to her. U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy said that the bonus was more than twice as much as what the rest of her staff was making in combined bonuses.
Fernandes Anderson accepted $7,000 in a cash kickback withdrawal from that staffer during a meeting in a bathroom in Boston City Hall on June 9, 2023, text messages obtained by investigators showed.
“There’s a legal process to play out and everyone in our community deserves the right to a fair legal process,” Wu said. “With that being said these charges are serious enough that I believe that it is of the nature that it will undermine the ability for the public to trust and have effective representation in this case,” she added.
Tania Fernandes Anderson Indictment 12-6-24 by Fox Boston Staff on Scribd
Born in Cape Verde, Fernandes Anderson was elected to the Boston City Council on Nov. 2, 2021, according to biographical information on the city’s website. She won reelection in November 2023. Her current term as Councilor is slated to run through January 2026.
Fernandes Anderson, who earned a salary of about $103,500 in 2022 and 2023, is not new to controversy while serving on the Boston City Council.
In 2023, Fernandes Anderson agreed to pay a $5,000 civil penalty after admitting to violating the conflict of interest law by hiring her sister and son to paid positions on her Boston City Council staff, state officials said.
It’s unclear if Fernandes Anderson will retain her position on the City Council moving forward.
Fernandes Anderson was assigned a public defender for her initial arraignment.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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