Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson faced a judge Friday afternoon, pleading not guilty to federal public corruption charges.
“When her constituents elected Ms. Fernandes Anderson, she had a fundamental obligation to act with the utmost integrity,” said U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy. “Public officials who line their pockets with taxpayer money erode the trust and confidence of the public and the officials who serve them.”
Fernandes Anderson, 45, was arrested Friday morning around 6:30 a.m. outside her home in Dorchester. She was escorted to the Moakley Federal Court House in handcuffs by FBI agents.
According to a 11-page indictment, she is facing five counts of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds.
Read Fernandes Anderson’s full indictment here.
Alleged kickback scheme
Fernandes Anderson is accused of a kickback scheme in cooperation with a relative she hired to work in her office, then paid a bonus to, which was twice as much as all the other bonuses in her office combined; the relative then allegedly gave Fernandes Anderson $7,000 of that bonus in a Boston City Hall bathroom.
In November 2022, Fernandes Anderson allegedly emailed a city employee regarding hiring a new staff member as a salaried employee, falsely stating that the staff member was not related to her, the indictment said. According to the indictment, the staff member was indeed related to her, but not an immediate family member.
From about early to mid-2023, Fernandes Anderson was allegedly facing “personal financial difficulty,” said the U.S. Attorney’s office.
“It is further alleged that, in or about early May 2023, Fernandes Anderson told Staff Member A that she would give them extra pay in the form of a large bonus, but that Staff Member A would have to give a portion of the bonus back to Fernandes Anderson. Staff Member A agreed to the arrangement with Fernandes Anderson,” the U.S. Attorney’s office said in a statement.
Fernandes Anderson allegedly emailed a city employee to process a bonus payment of $13,000 to the staff member, according to the indictment. The staff member then allegedly deposited the bonus check in late May at Santander Bank.
“It is alleged that, at Fernandes Anderson’s direction, Staff Member A then made separate cash withdrawals of the payment on three separate dates: $3,000 on May 31, 2023; $3,000 on June 5, 2023; and $4,000 on June 9, 2023,” the U.S. Attorney’s office said.
Fernandes Anderson and the staff member allegedly agreed to meet at a City Hall bathroom on June 9, 2023, where the staff member is said to have given Fernandes Anderson $7,000 in cash.
Before arrest, defiant and determined to stay in office
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.
Mayor Wu urges resignation
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said she urges Fernandes Anderson to resign.
“Like any member of the community, Councilor Fernandes Anderson has the right to a fair legal process,” Wu said in a statement. “But the serious nature of these charges undermine the public trust and will prevent her from effectively serving the city. I urge Councilor Fernandes Anderson to resign.”
Boston City Councilor At-Large Erin Murphy called the allegations “deeply disturbing”.
“I firmly believe that any official who engages in criminal activity or unethical behavior must be held fully accountable,” Murphy said. “We are here to uplift and protect the people of Boston, not to exploit our positions for personal benefit. To betray this trust is to betray every resident who looks to us for leadership.”
Other complications
Fernandes Anderson has been scrutinized before for hiring family members.
According to court documents, shortly after being elected in 2021, Fernandes Anderson hired two members of her immediate family in 2022 as salaried employees of her staff, in violation of state law prohibiting hiring of immediate family members.
She was required to terminate those employees in August 2022 and agreed to pay a $5,000 civil penalty payment to the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission following a 2023 investigation into the hiring.
Appearance before judge Friday afternoon
Fernandes Anderson appeared before a judge for her initial court appearance on Friday at 2:15 p.m. She was held in a holding cell in the courthouse until that time.
She pleaded not guilty and stayed silent as she left the courthouse. Fernandes Anderson is due back in court next month.
Meanwhile, she has been ordered by the judge to turn in her passport and not to leave the state until her case is resolved.
The U.S. Attorney for Boston said this investigation is active and ongoing and he did not rule out the potential of future arrests.
This is a developing new story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
