Boston councilwoman pleads guilty to federal corruption charges in a kickback scheme
Tania Fernandes Anderson pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. In exchange, prosecutors dropped four wire fraud counts against the 46-year-old lawmaker, who in 2021 became the first African immigrant and Muslim-American elected to the council.
Anderson was going through financial difficulties in 2023, partly because the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission told her it would fine her $5,000 for hiring immediate family members, according to prosecutors. Council members aren't permitted to hire immediate family members as paid staff.
'Councilor Fernandes Anderson abused her position of trust for personal gain and turned a public checkbook into her own private slush fund,' United States Attorney Leah B. Foley said in a statement. 'Her constituents deserve better than this. They deserve a city representative who respects the role of public service and does not use the power and position to line her own pockets … Ms. Fernandes Anderson leaves a legacy not of a selfless trailblazer, but one of fraud, greed, and deceit.'
According to prosecutors, Anderson told her relative that she would give her a $13,000 bonus, which was more than twice as much as the combined bonuses she gave to the rest of the staff. After taxes, the staffer received about $10,000. She withdrew the money in several bank transactions in May and June of 2023 before exchanging texts to meet Anderson in a City Hall bathroom that June 9, where she gave Anderson $7,000 of the money.
The government is seeking a sentence of one year and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $13,000 when she is sentenced on July 29. Anderson could have faced up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the fraud charges. The theft count carried a penalty of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.
Outside of court, Anderson didn't directly address the allegations that led to her guilty plea. She said she 'loved' her constituents and would remain focused on putting together a transitional plan for whomever replaces her.
'When I knew or decided that I needed to agree to a plea, I've been planning to make sure that my staff was OK, that my constituents were OK so that there's a softer landing, that my family, my children are secure and OK,' she said, adding that she hoped the media would forget her in the weeks ahead.
When the plea deal was announced earlier this month, Council President Ruthzee Louijeune said Anderson had agreed to resign. Anderson indicated she planned to do that this summer.
'Our residents look to elected officials to lead with integrity, and the Boston City Council must continue to do just that,' Louijeune said. 'I am coordinating with counsel and staff to ensure that the rule of law and the rules of the body are executed effectively as we continue to receive information.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
8 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Increasing the danger: Journalist killing in Gaza sends a chilling message
Israel's targeted killing of an Al Jazeera correspondent in Gaza over the weekend was noteworthy even for a conflict remarkably blood-soaked for journalists, leaving some experts to marvel that any news at all emerges from the territory. An Al Jazeera executive said Monday that it won't back down from covering what is going on there and called for news organizations to step up and recruit more journalists. A total of 184 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed by Israel in the Gaza war since its start in October 2023, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. That compares to the 18 journalists and media workers killed so far in the Russia-Ukraine war, CPJ said. Aside from rare guided tours, Israel has barred international media from covering the 22-month war in Gaza. News organizations instead rely largely on Palestinian Gaza residents and ingenuity to show the world what is happening there. Israel often questions the affiliations and biases of Palestinian journalists but doesn't permit others in. 'You simply are in awe when stories show up,' said Jane Ferguson, a veteran war correspondent and founder of Noosphere, an independent platform for journalists. She can't recall a conflict that has been more difficult for reporters to cover, and she's reported from South Sudan, Syria and Afghanistan. Correspondent Anas al-Sharif knew he was a target, and left behind a message to be delivered upon his death. He and seven other people — six of them journalists — were killed in an air strike outside of Gaza City's largest hospital complex on Sunday. Israel swiftly claimed responsibility, saying without producing evidence that al-Sharif had led a Hamas cell. It was a claim the news organization and al-Sharif had denied. The toll of journalists in Gaza has been high Agence France-Presse, The Associated Press, BBC News and Reuters are among the organizations regularly reporting from Gaza. An Aug. 7 AP dispatch vividly described the hunger faced by many in Gaza: 'A single bowl of eggplant stewed in watery tomato juice must sustain Sally Muzhed's family of six for the day. She calls it moussaka, but it's a pale echo of the fragrant, lawyered, meat-and-vegetable dish that once filled Gaza's kitchens with its aroma.' Other recent AP reports carried images and text reporting from the aftermath of an Israeli strike on Gaza's only Catholic church, and a profile of an 18-year-old aspiring doctor now trying to survive sheltered in a tent. Journalists from The Washington Post and the Guardian recently accompanied a Jordanian relief mission and took images of Gaza from the air, despite some restrictions from Israel. The Guardian's Lorenzo Tondo wrote: 'Seen from the air, Gaza looks like the ruins of an ancient civilization, brought to light after centuries of darkness.' None of the organizations match the power and immediacy of Al Jazeera, however, in part because their correspondents have been in front of cameras. They've also paid the heaviest price: CPJ estimates that 11 journalists and media workers affiliated with AJ have been killed in the Gaza conflict, more than any other single organization. In a social media post written in June to be sent if he was killed, al-Sharif wrote that 'I have lived through pain in all its details, tasted suffering and loss many times, yet I never once hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification — so that Allah may bear witness against those who stayed silent.' In another posting on X on Aug. 10, the day that he was killed, al-Sharif wrote of the challenges covering the aftermath of one attack. He said he lost his strength and ability to express himself when he arrived at the scene. 'Body parts and blood were all around us, and corpses were scattered on top of each other,' he wrote. 'Tell me what words and phrases could help any journalist describe this horrific image. When I told you on air that it was an 'indescribable scene,' I was truly helpless in the face of this horrific sight.' Al Jazeera calls for other news organizations to come forward Salah Negm, news director at Al Jazeera English, said Monday it is very difficult to get people in to Gaza. But it is full of educated people and those with training in journalism who can help get stories out. He called on other news organizations to step up. 'We get the news from several sources on the ground in Gaza — not only journalists but also doctors, hospitals, civil servants, aid workers,' Negm said. 'A lot of people in Gaza talk to us.' Many of the journalists working in Gaza are facing the same struggles to find food, for themselves and their families, as the people they are covering. Noosphere's Ferguson said she's never before had to ask a reporter whether she had enough food for herself and her child. In an interview in May on 'Democracy Now!,' 22-year-old journalist Abubaker Abed described the difficult decision he made to leave Gaza to pursue his education in Ireland. Not only was he suffering from malnutrition, he said, but his mother was concerned that his work as a journalist would make him and his family targets. 'If I stayed, I would die,' he said. Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said she's concerned about the implications for journalists in future conflicts if what is happening in Gaza is allowed to continue without international condemnation that has real teeth. 'They're essentially admitting in public to what amounts to a war crime,' Ginsberg said, 'and they can do that because none of the other attacks on journalists have had any consequences. not in this war and not prior. It's not surprising that it can act with this level of impunity because no international government has really taken it to task.' Given all that they face, 'to me, the most remarkable thing is that journalists are continuing to cover (Gaza) at all,' she said. ___ Laurie Kellman and Danica Kirk in London, Samy Magdy in Cairo and Sam Metz in Jerusalem contributed to this report. David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at and
Winnipeg Free Press
8 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
China and the US clash at the UN over the Panama Canal, a focus of Trump's attention
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States and China clashed over the Panama Canal at the United Nations on Monday, with the U.S. warning that Beijing's influence over the key waterway could threaten global trade and security and China calling U.S. accusations a pretext to take over the canal. The clash took place at a U.N. Security Council meeting where Panama's President José Raúl Mulino stressed the neutrality of the canal and his country's ownership of the waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Panama holds the council presidency this month, and Mulino was chairing a meeting on challenges to maritime security. Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza told members these include piracy, armed robbery, transnational crime and cyber criminals weaponizing artificial intelligence to attack ports where there is 'minimal cyber security, maximum exposure.' U.S. President Donald Trump thrust Panama into the spotlight even before winning election last November by suggesting that his country should consider retaking control of the Panama Canal and accusing Panama of ceding influence to China. The U.S. built the canal in the early 1900s as it looked for ways to facilitate the transit of commercial and military vessels between its coasts. Control of the waterway transferred to Panama in 1999 under a treaty signed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter. China's U.N. Ambassador Fu Cong emphasized to the council that 'Panama has consistently and effectively managed the canal, making significant contributions to global shipping and trade.' 'China has always respected the permanent neutrality of the canal and firmly supports Panama in safeguarding its sovereignty over the canal to ensure its openness and smooth operation,' he said. Acting U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea, who spoke afterward, went after China, expressing concern about its 'outsized influence over the Panama Canal area, especially over critical infrastructure and port operations.' Alluding to its claims in the South China Sea, she said, 'China's expansive and unlawful maritime claims and aggressive actions demonstrate its threat to maritime security and commerce.' She said the U.S. rejects these claims and supports countries opposing them. 'China's influence in the canal area is not just a risk to Panama and the United States, but rather a potential threat to global trade and security,' Shea said. The Trump administration has pressured China to have the Hong Kong-based operator of ports at either end of the canal sell those interests to a U.S. consortium that includes BlackRock Inc. Panama has vehemently rejected a takeover of the canal, but in April, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Panama and agreed with Mulino to step up security coordination. The agreement also gives U.S. troops access to strategic air and naval facilities in the Central American nation, which sparked large protests in Panama's capital. China's Fu asked for the floor to respond to Shea's accusations after all council members spoke, this time lashing out at the Trump administration. 'The United States' fabrication of lies and groundless attacks against China are nothing but a pretext for seeking control of the canal,' he said. The Chinese envoy called the U.S. and its deployment of offensive weapons in the South China Sea area 'the biggest disrupter of peace and stability' in the region, and he accused the administration of exacerbating risks to global maritime security. 'China firmly opposes economic coercion and bullying practices and urges the United States to stop fabricating rumors, lies and creating trouble,' Fu said. Murillo then responded, saying he wanted to stress Panama's sovereignty 'in terms of the ownership of the canal' and the multilateral treaty governing its administration. He called the canal's neutrality 'the only and the best defense' to any specific or global threats.
Toronto Star
44 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
Police say 3 people were fatally shot at a Target in Austin, Texas, and a suspect has been detained
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A gunman opened fire Monday in a Target store parking lot in the Texas capital, killing at least three people, then stole two cars during a getaway that ended with police using a Taser to detain him on the other side of the city, authorities said. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the suspect is a man in his 30s with 'a mental health history.'
