Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson to Resign
"Please forgive me," says the District 7 rep, who pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and the count of theft from a program receiving federal funds.
Tania Fernandes Anderson returning for the final meeting of the Boston City Council after her arrest on federal charges on December 11. / Photo by Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images
In December, Fernandes Anderson was indicted on five counts of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. According to Lauer, Fernandes Anderson will plead guilty to one count of wire fraud and the count of theft from a program receiving federal funds and the other four counts will be dismissed.
The plea represents a stunning fall for a promising politician beloved in her district and across much of the Black community in Boston. Fernandes Anderson was first elected to the city council in 2021, becoming the first African immigrant and Muslim to serve on the council. She was reelected in a landslide in 2023. Fernandes Anderson became well-known for her style of participatory democracy in which she held weekly meetings with a district-wide advisory council. She also drew criticism for outbursts on the city council floor and for the perception that she played the race card and was racially divisive.
Fernandes Anderson first ran into trouble for hiring her son and sister to her staff, for which she was the subject of a state ethics commission investigation that resulted in the commission fining her $5,000 in 2023. She maintained that she was unaware of the rules regarding hiring family. After that, she hired a close friend, Rita Fernandes, who prosecutors say was a blood relative, something Fernandes Anderson denies. The friend later cooperated with federal authorities by admitting that Fernandes Anderson gave her a $13,000 bonus under an agreement that she would give $7,000 back to Fernandes Anderson.
Initially, Fernandes Anderson refused calls from the mayor and fellow councilors to step down after her December arrest, but has now provided the following statement to Boston in full:
I have decided to plead guilty and resolve the case brought against me. I would like to apologize to my constituents, supporters, and all who have been impacted.
Please forgive me.
I will be resigning. It is the right thing to do. In coming days, I will evaluate transition plans and timeline with the District 7 Advisory Council. I will do everything possible to make an orderly exit to ensure my constituents’ needs are met.
I will have more to say at the appropriate time in court but I will not be commenting further beyond this statement. I pray that the press will respect my privacy, as well as the privacy of my family.
