LAWRENCE, MASS. (WHDH) - Lawrence Mayor Brian De Peña appeared in court Tuesday to face more than a dozen state charges.
De Peña pleaded not guilty before a judge to 15 charges, including wiretapping and witness intimidation. He is accused of secretly recording employees at Lawrence City Hall and distributing the recording. He is also accused of interfering with a police officer serving grand jury subpoenas.
Prosecutors say De Peña had a security system installed for his office in 2023 that recorded audio unbeknownst to people outside of his office.
In addition to the 15 state charges, De Peña is also facing federal indictments for pandemic loan fraud and money laundering.
Also on Tuesday, the Lawrence City Council is set to vote on a no-confidence measure against De Peña. The vote was set for last week, but the council delayed it.
De Peña refuses to resign as mayor.
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