Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson was arrested on Friday on federal fraud charges. She is accused of diverting a portion of an inflated bonus payment intended for a staff member, to whom she is related, into her own possession during a meeting in a City Hall bathroom. Anderson, 45, who was reportedly facing financial difficulties, was taken into custody outside her home on charges of five counts of wire fraud and one count of theft related to a program that receives federal funding, according to U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy.
Anderson was scheduled to appear in federal court later on Friday. She was indicted by a grand jury earlier this week. Her attorney, Assistant Federal Public Defender Scott Lauer, confirmed he is representing her but declined to provide further comment.
In 2023, Anderson was struggling financially, in part due to the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission’s decision to pursue a $5,000 fine against her. The fine was related to her hiring immediate family members to work in her office, which is prohibited for council members under state law.
Despite being under investigation by the state ethics commission, Tania Fernandes Anderson hired another family member to work on her staff at Boston City Hall, specifically to handle constituent services, according to U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy. Anderson falsely claimed to City Hall that there was no familial relationship with the new staff member.
Anderson then offered the staffer—a woman—a $13,000 bonus, which was more than double the total amount of bonuses given to other staff members. However, the bonus came with a catch: the staffer was instructed to return $7,000 in cash to Anderson. The staffer, referred to as “staff member A” in the indictment, agreed to this arrangement.
After taxes, the staffer received around $10,000 in her bank account. She withdrew the money in several transactions during May and June 2023 and later arranged to meet Anderson in a City Hall bathroom on June 9. At the meeting, the staffer handed over the $7,000 in cash to Anderson.
Tania Fernandes Anderson made history in November 2021 as the first African immigrant and the first Muslim elected to the Boston City Council. She was re-elected in 2023.
In response to her arrest, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu called for Anderson’s resignation. In a statement, Wu acknowledged Anderson’s right to a fair legal process but emphasized that the severity of the charges against her eroded public trust and would hinder her ability to effectively serve the city.
