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https://apnews.com/article/boston-city-councilor-arrested- 3eb994bab2c7e8c2bae712a628fe8c06

BOSTON (AP) ù A Boston city councilor was arrested Friday on federal fraud charges, accused of funneling part of an inflated bonus payment to a
staffer to whom she was related into her own pockets during an exchange at
a City Hall bathroom, the U.S. attorneyÆs office said.

Tania Fernandes Anderson, 45, who was facing financial problems, was
arrested outside her home on five counts of wire fraud and one count of
theft from a program receiving federal funds, acting U.S. Attorney Joshua
Levy said.

Anderson, wearing a red winter jacket, pleaded not guilty to the charges
and was released. A grand jury indicted her this week.

Anderson was facing financial difficulties in 2023, partly because the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission told her it would seek a $5,000 fine
from her for hiring immediate family members to work in her office, Levy
said. Council members are not permitted to hire immediate family members
as paid staff.

ôDespite the fact that she was under investigation by the state ethics commission, Ms. Fernandes Anderson hired another family member on her
staff at Boston City Hall to handle constituent services,ö Levy said.
ôThat staff member was related to her, but Ms. Fernandes Anderson falsely represented to City Hall that there was no familial relationship.ö

She went on to tell the staffer, a woman, that she would give her a
$13,000 bonus, more than twice as much as she was paying to the rest of
the staff combined in bonuses, Levy said.


ôThat supersized bonus came with a hitch,ö Levy said, with the staffer
being told they had to ôfork over $7,000 in cash backö to her. The
staffer, referred to as ôstaff member Aö in the indictment, agreed, Levy
said.

After taxes, the staffer received about $10,000 in her bank account. She withdrew the money in several transactions in May and June of 2023 before exchanging texts to meet at the City Hall bathroom that June 9, Levy said.
The staffer gave her $7,000, he said.

Each of the five wire fraud charges carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The theft count carries a penalty of
up to 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.

In a statement to her constituents Wednesday, Anderson said, ôYou know
that I am always transparent with you and always available. My job is to
show up and fight for you, and I will continue to do just that.ö

Anderson became the first African immigrant and first Muslim elected to
the council in November 2021. She was reelected in 2023.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu urged Anderson to resign, saying the charges ôundermine the public trust and will prevent her from effectively serving
the city.ö


--
November 5, 2024 - Congratulations President Donald Trump. We look
forward to America being great again.

The disease known as Kamala Harris has been effectively treated and
eradicated.

We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.

Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem. It has none.

Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
fiasco, President Trump.

Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.

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