Latest news with #JeanneLouise
Boston Globe
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Why have a House Committee on Ethics at all?
Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up That's where the House Committee on Ethics, this year chaired by the newly appointed Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian of Melrose, comes in. Or should, anyway. Advertisement It has the power to The last time the House committee recommended a member be expelled was in 2014, when Representative Advertisement It shouldn't take a conviction to stir the committee into action, though, because whether someone is guilty in a legal sense is a different question than whether their behavior makes them unfit for their legislative prerogatives. Flanagan is charged with defrauding his former employer, the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Cape Cod, of $36,000 and using the money to help finance his successful 2022 House campaign as well as pay for some personal electronics; sport coats, dress shirts, and ties from Macy's; and the services of a social media marketing company. According to the 'This alleged scheme was calculated on every level,' US Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley said in a statement. 'No one is entitled to power by way of fraud, and the people of Massachusetts deserve better.' A year ago, the state For months Flanagan insisted to OCPF that a woman named Jeanne Louise was responsible for the mailing. In a letter to Flanagan, OCPF Director William Campbell wrote that the investigation 'eventually revealed that you created an alias, 'Jeanne Louise,' to conceal your financial role in the creation of the mail in support of your election.' Flanagan and his campaign committee paid penalties as a result. Advertisement The same offense was included as part of the federal indictment. Since January, House Minority Leader Brad Jones has been trying to get House Speaker Ron Mariano to order the House Committee on Ethics to begin a formal investigation of Flanagan's conduct — long before his indictment but after the OCPF finding and reports that Cape Cod police were investigating the allegations. 'I even appointed my four [Republican] members of the Ethics Committee early this year,' he told the editorial board. 'But I am not aware of any meetings they have held or are going to hold.' Nor did Jones ever hear back from the speaker in response to that letter. 'It's always a catch-22,' Jones explained. 'First they'll say 'we can't do anything while the legal process is playing out.' ' Then once there's a conviction, the point is basically moot. Indeed, Lipper-Garabedian said in a statement Monday, 'Under the Rules of the House, the Committee is prohibited from either confirming or denying whether there is a matter before the Committee. That said, consistent with past practices, the Committee will wait for the judicial process to play out to avoid any possible disruption or obstruction to the ongoing criminal proceedings. 'The Committee will conduct an investigation into Rep. Flanagan at the conclusion of the judicial proceedings,' she added. And at the measured pace the federal courts keep, that could be a rather long time. (Those The speaker could, Advertisement Copying the congressional model, which — unlike any other committees — has ethics committees that are evenly divided between the parties, should go on the Massachusetts Legislature's growing list of overdue reforms. But clearly House Democrats, despite their overwhelming majority, aren't in any great hurry to do anything that would open up a seat that traditionally has been competitive for Republican candidates. And its ethics committee will continue to be a committee in name only. Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dem Rep Nailed For Funneling Stolen Cash Into ‘Personal Psychic Services'
Seems like somebody's watching too much Long Island Medium. Massachusetts state Rep. Christopher Flanagan was busted Friday for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from a local trade association to pay his personal expenses—including 'personal psychic services.' In January 2023, Flanagan allegedly stole $10,000 to fund his campaign for state representative, posing as a person named 'Jeanne Louise.' When authorities tried to investigate, he told them Jeanne Louise was part of a conservative group that had endorsed him and sent out mailers to potential voters. Prosecuting U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said it was 'an appalling breach of public trust.' The Democratic lawmaker was indicted on five counts of wire fraud and one count of falsification of records, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). He used the stolen cash to pay mortgage bills and his own massive debt. He now faces up to 40 years in prison. 'In addition to stealing HBA funds via official checks and PayPal transfers, Flanagan also stole hundreds of dollars in HBA funds to pay for personal psychic services in July 2022, which Flanagan conducted via direct debit transactions from the HBA FCU account,' the indictment said. Gov. Maura Healy called for Flanagan to resign on Friday. Flanagan served as the executive officer of the Home Builders Association in Cape Cod, which paid him up to $81,600 per year from 2019 to 2024. He also got about $100,000 in both 2023 and 2024 from his position as a legislator. But his hefty salary still wasn't enough to pay off all he owed. Starting in October 2021, the lawmaker fell on hard times and ended up stealing $36,000 in Home Builders Association funds through bank wire transfers, according to the DOJ. From late 2021 to early 2023, Flanagan wired anywhere from $1,500 to $10,000 on separate occasions. Foley said Flanagan was 'facing personal financial difficulty, with thousands of dollars in outstanding credit card debt, missing mortgage payments and hundreds of dollars in bank overdraft fees.' The secret shoppers busted out the big bucks for items at Best Buy, Macy's, and Target. He claimed he was spending 'technology services' when, instead, he was getting a Bluetooth speaker and T-shirts for his political campaign. The indictment reads: 'Records of the actual purchases, however, showed that the $613.70 and $361.24 Best Buy purchases were for an electric dryer and an air condition, both delivered to Flanagan's home; the $1,050.30 Macy's purchase was for men's ties, dress shirts, slacks, and sports coats; and the $92.86 purchase at Target was to pay for children's clothes and toys.' Foley added in a Friday statement that 'Mr. Flanagan defrauded the very organization he was supposed to serve—allegedly funneling tens of thousands of dollars into his own pockets to pay off personal bills, buy luxury items, and bankroll his political campaign. He allegedly stole money and then went to extraordinary lengths to cover it up, going so far as fabricating fake personas to mislead those who questioned his conduct." Earlier this year, when state Republican Party leaders called for Flanagan to resign, he snapped at them. 'Especially on the eve of Jan. 6, I'm not going to engage in political mudslinging,' he said. 'I'm proud to represent everyone in my district, whether they are Democrats, Republicans, or unaffiliated.' The Daily Beast has reached out to Flanagan for comment.
