FBI Arrests Boston Councilor On Federal Corruption Charges

Clear Facts

• FBI agents arrested Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson on charges of wire fraud and theft related to federal programs.
• Fernandes Anderson previously faced ethics violations for hiring family members at City Hall and raising their salaries.
• She represents District 7, which includes several Boston neighborhoods such as Roxbury and Dorchester.

In a significant development, FBI agents in Boston have apprehended City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson on allegations of public corruption. The arrest, which took place on Friday morning, involves charges of wire fraud and theft concerning programs funded by federal dollars.

Media reports have confirmed that federal authorities have been investigating Fernandes Anderson. This morning, FBI agents were observed outside her Dorchester residence as she was taken into custody.

Court documents reveal that Fernandes Anderson’s legal troubles are not new. In 2023, she was found to have violated the conflict-of-interest law by hiring her sister and son at City Hall after her 2021 election. Their salaries were subsequently increased to $70,000 annually.

Fernandes Anderson ended their employment in 2022 and paid a $5,000 fine for the ethics violation. Furthermore, last month, her campaign was notified by Massachusetts’ Office of Campaign and Political Finance for accepting contributions over the legal limit and failing to file deposit information promptly.

Representing District 7, Fernandes Anderson’s jurisdiction includes the Boston neighborhoods of Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway, and part of the South End. Her biography on the City of Boston’s website highlights her historical significance as “the first African immigrant and Muslim-American elected to the Boston City Council.”

Before her tenure as a councilor, she held various roles, including Executive Director of Bowdoin Geneva Main Streets and a program manager for a homeless women’s shelter. Her community involvement extends to being a foster mom to 17 children while raising her two biological kids.

The FBI has scheduled a news conference at 9:30 a.m. ET to address the arrest.

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