The FBI’s Boston office and the U.S. Attorney’s office announced a member of the Boston City Council was arrested on federal public corruption charges.
Tania Fernandes Anderson was arrested Friday morning. According to the indictment, she is facing five counts of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning a program receiving federal funds.
7News has been reporting on Fernandes Anderson this week, with sources saying she is the subject of federal investigation.
When asked about this Wednesday, she said her focus remains on serving her constituents.
“I’m not thinking about stepping down,” Fernandes Anderson told 7News as she arrived for work at City Hall. “I’m not thinking about any of that. I’m thinking about the work.”
When pressed about what federal investigators are looking for, or if she did anything wrong, Fernandes Anderson wouldn’t budge.
“I can not comment on the case itself,” she said. “I can not comment on it at all.”
Fernandes Anderson was elected to the Boston City Council in 2021. She is the first African immigrant and Muslim-American elected to the council. She represents Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway, and parts of the South End.
In November, state regulators sent Fernandes Anderson a letter explaining she violated campaign finance law by filing late and taking more contributions than allowed. Fernandes Anderson resolved those issues, and was told by the state that if there were any other problems, the Attorney General’s office could get involved.
A news conference is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at Moakley Federal Court House in Boston, at which point more details will be released.
This is a developing new story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
