BOSTON (WHDH) - Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson was arrested Friday morning by federal authorities.
According to the indictment, she is facing five counts of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning a program receiving federal funds.
7News legal expert Evan Gotlob said from reading the indictment, “it seems like the government has pretty strong evidence in this case”.
Fernandes Anderson is facing multiple counts of wire fraud in connection with an alleged kickback scheme in cooperation with a relative of hers who she hired to work in her office, then paid a bonus to that was twice as much as all the other bonuses in her office combined; the relative then gave Fernandes Anderson $7,000 of that bonus in a Boston City Hall bathroom.
“It’s very serious,” Gotlob said. “Anytime a public official takes a bribe or a kickback, it’s very serious. Their whole job is funded by taxpayer money, taxpayers put their trust in these individuals to represent them, pass laws by them, do good by them. In this case, the city councilwoman, based on the allegations, was not doing that.”
This is not the first time Fernandes Anderson has faced repercussions for hiring of family members.
“She initially hired immediate family members that she got fined for,” Gotlob said. “She had to fire two of them, then she hired another family member and she paid this family member an inordinate amount in a bonus that she took the money back for herself. That’s not gaining the public trust of her constituents. These charges are very serious here.”
The city councilor is set to be arraigned Friday. Gotlob said it is not likely the government will move to detain Fernandes Anderson and she will likely be released later today. After that, the case process will move forward to discovery and other items.
This is a developing new story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
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