On Friday morning, State Representative Chris Flanagan was taken into custody following accusations of misappropriating around $36,000 from a previous employer to fund campaign expenses, acquire new apparel, and settle credit card debts, as stated in a press release by U.S. Attorney Leah Foley. In light of these events, Democratic Governor Maura Healey and other state officials have urged him to resign.
Flanagan is the second Democratic legislator to encounter federal charges this week. On Thursday, Tania Fernandes Anderson, a notable progressive and Boston City Councilor, consented to resign after admitting to facilitating a bribe to settle personal debts. She holds the distinction of being the first former undocumented immigrant to serve on the city council.
As reported by the U.S. Attorney’s office, Flanagan, aged 37, embezzled $36,000 over a span of 14 months during his tenure as the executive officer of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association in Cape Cod. Upon the revelation of the financial irregularity, he purportedly confessed to the theft and committed to reimbursing the amount. Following this, he resigned, and the investigation, initially conducted by a local Democratic district attorney, was transferred to Foley, the prosecutor appointed by the Trump administration for Massachusetts.
The indictment additionally claims that during a fiercely competitive reelection campaign in 2023 for a seat formerly occupied by Republicans, Flanagan misappropriated $10,000 from illicit funds to enhance his campaign finances. Previously, he incurred a $15,000 penalty for establishing a fraudulent external organization named ‘Conservatives for Chris Flanagan’ and for unlawfully soliciting donations beyond the legal threshold using a supporter’s alias, ‘Jeanne Louise.’
Furthermore, Flanagan allegedly allocated $537 for campaign t-shirts and utilized extra funds to reduce credit card debt, acquire an electric dryer and an air conditioning unit, and address several other expenditures, such as ties, dress shirts, and toys for children, as reported by the Boston Globe.
Foley’s office asserted that Flanagan utilized a portion of the embezzled funds for ‘personal psychic services’ in July 2022. This theft constitutes a ‘shocking violation of public trust,’ she remarked in an additional statement.
The U.S. Attorney’s office reported that Flanagan falsified expense reports submitted to state campaign regulators, asserting that the $10,000 he received from a trade organization was a legitimate reimbursement.
He further claimed that the organization had a practice of permitting him to withdraw substantial amounts for expense reimbursement purposes. He deposited this sum into his account on February 23, categorizing it as a ‘candidate loan.’
However, authorities argued that he could not have conducted this transfer without misappropriating funds from his employer, as his personal bank account had only $42.28 one month prior, according to the indictment.
Flanagan, who has an annual income exceeding $97,000 as a state legislator, was also receiving an additional $81,600 each year from his position with the Remodelers Association on Cape Cod.
As reported by the office of U.S. Attorney Foley, Flanagan’s financial difficulties commenced as early as the autumn of 2021. Documentation from that time indicates he was burdened with considerable credit card debt, had defaulted on mortgage payments, and incurred substantial bank overdraft fees. Authorities claim that by November of that year, he had begun embezzling funds from his employer.
“Should he decline to resign, it is imperative that Speaker [Ron] Mariano promptly authorize and instruct the House Ethics Committee to initiate proceedings regarding this issue,” stated House Minority Leader Brad Jones, a Republican.
