Politics
NEW: Trump DOJ Arrests Democrat Politician On Embezzlement Charges
Federal authorities have arrested a Massachusetts lawmaker on embezzlement charges, marking the second time in a single week that the liberal state’s Democratic lawmakers have garnered major headlines for criminal activity.
State Representative Chris Flanagan was arrested Friday morning on charges that he embezzled approximately $36,000 from a former employer to pay for campaign expenses, new clothes, and credit card debt, according to a press release by U.S. Attorney Leah Foley. The arrest prompted Governor Maura Healey and other state officials to call for his resignation.
The U.S. Attorney’s office stated that Flanagan, 37, stole $36,000 over a 14-month period while working as executive officer for the Home Builders and Remodelers Association in Cape Cod. When the missing money was discovered, Flanagan allegedly admitted to the theft and promised to pay it back.
He resigned from his role at the company, and an investigation by the local Democratic district attorney was eventually turned over to Foley, the Trump administration’s prosecutor for Massachusetts.
Details in the indictment allege Flanagan took $10,000 from the sum and added it to his 2023 campaign coffers when he was locked in a tight reelection race to keep a seat previously held by Republicans. During his previous campaign, he had been fined $15,000 for falsifying an outside group called “Conservatives for Chris Flanagan” and using the pseudonym of a supporter — “Jeanne Louise” — to raise cash for his campaign above the legal limit.
Flanagan also spent $537 on t-shirts for his campaign and used additional funds to pay down credit card bills, buy an electric dryer and air conditioner, and make an array of other purchases, including ties, dress shirts, and children’s toys, according to the Boston Globe.
U.S. Attorney Foley’s office added that Flanagan also spent part of the stolen funds on “personal psychic services” in July 2022.
The theft represents an “appalling breach of public trust,” she added in a separate statement.
“Mr. Flanagan defrauded the very organization he was supposed to serve,” Foley said. “This alleged scheme was calculated on every level. No one is entitled to power by way of fraud, and the people of Massachusetts deserve better.”
According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Flanagan falsified expense reports submitted to state campaign watchdogs, alleging that the $10,000 he received from a trade group was a legitimate reimbursement expense and that the group had a “practice of allowing Flanagan to withdraw large sums of money for the purpose of expense reimbursement.”
He deposited that amount into his account on February 23rd, labeling it a “candidate loan.” However, authorities said he could not have made the transfer without stealing money from his employer, as his personal bank account held just $42.28 one month prior, according to the indictment.
Flanagan, who earns over $97,000 annually as a state lawmaker, was making $81,600 on top of that while working for the remodelers association on Cape Cod.
He began having money troubles as early as the fall of 2021, according to Foley’s office.
Transactions from the time show thousands of dollars in outstanding credit card debt, missed mortgage payments, and hundreds of dollars in bank overdraft fees, according to authorities. By November of that year, he began stealing from his employer, it is alleged.
“If he refuses to [resign], then Speaker [Ron] Mariano should immediately authorize and direct the House Ethics Committee to begin proceedings in this matter,” House Minority Leader Brad Jones, a Republican, said in a statement.
Mariano, the top Democrat in the state Legislature, has so far not called for his embattled colleague to step down.
He is the second Democratic lawmaker to be hit with federal charges this week. On Thursday, Boston’s progressive City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson agreed to resign from her seat after pleading guilty to orchestrating a bribe to pay down personal debt. She is the city’s first councilor to be a former illegal immigrant.
