Boston City Councilor accused of embezzlement returns to work: ‘I say onward’

BOSTON — The Boston City Council on Wednesday met for the first time since last week’s federal arrest of Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson.

The meeting was held at noon at Boston City Hall and was the last of 2024 and the first since Fernandes Anderson was charged Friday in federal court with five counts of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds.

Fernandes Anderson believes that she can continue to do her job despite calls for her resignation.

“I say onward with the people’s work,” she said before the meeting.

Items on the agenda include the proposed formation of an ethics commission amid allegations that Fernandes Anderson hired a relative to her staff and “hatched a scheme to funnel taxpayer money into her own pocket.”

As part of the scheme, Fernandes Anderson allegedly agreed to pay the staffer a $13,000 bonus on the condition that part of it would be returned to her.

Fernandes Anderson accepted $7,000 in a cash kickback withdrawal from that staffer during a meeting in a bathroom in Boston City Hall on June 9, 2023, text messages obtained by federal investigators showed.

At the time of receiving the payment, Fernandes Anderson was facing a slew of financial troubles, according to prosecutors.

Fernandes Anderson says she can’t answer any questions about the case, or even plead her innocence. But she did say that those calling for her job is all a political game.

“People have the right to their opinion I think that they should allow for the privilege that everyone has to do process,” said Fernandes Anderson.

Mayor Michelle Wu as well as several city council members have called for her to resign from her position since her arrest. Going as far as to introduce the question of if an ethics committee should be established in city hall.

“There’s a legal process to play out and everyone in our community deserves the right to a fair legal process,” Wu said. “With that being said, these charges are serious enough that I believe that it is of the nature that it will undermine the ability of the public to trust and have effective representation in this case.”

“I will be brief. Boston residents are looking for this body to provide honest and ethical leadership. Why not start today?” said councilor Ed Flynn .

“To investigate or have jurisdiction over my peers on those questions, Ruthzee Louisjeune said. “I do think it’s a worthy conversation.”

The Boston Herald reported that Chief Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell has ordered Fernandes Anderson to pay $5,000 by Jan. 31, 2025, to cover the cost of her assigned public counsel.

The Council on Wednesday was also expected to vote on property tax rates for 2025.

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