XPost: ne.politics, alt.law-enforcement, alt.politics.republicans
XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, sac.politics
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trumps-doj-arrests-democratic-lawmaker-
2058629
Massachusetts state Representative Christopher Flanagan, a Democrat for
the First Barnstable District, was indicted by the Department of Justice
(DOJ) on Friday by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of
Massachusetts in an alleged fraud and cover-up scheme.
Flanagan's lawyer, Greg Henning, confirmed to Newsweek via email that he
will appear alongside Flanagan in court on Friday.
Newsweek has also reached out to Flanagan's office and Massachusetts House Democratic leadership via email on Friday.
Why It Matters
Public officials' misconduct undermines public trust, raising concerns
about state lawmakers and the legislature.
Flanagan faces potential jail time and removal from office, which would
leave the seat vacant until a special election is held.
What To Know
Flanagan, a 37-year-old Dennis, Massachusetts, resident, was arrested
Friday morning after a federal grand jury indicted him on five counts of
wire fraud and one count of falsification of records.
The indictment states that Flanagan served as the executive officer of a
Home Builders Association in Cape Cod (HBA) from 2019 to 2024, a trade organization which he is accused of defrauding by secretly withdrawing
"tens of thousands of dollars [from]", "entering false information in
HBA's financial bookkeeping records," and providing "false and misleading
HBA financial information to the HBA Board."
A chart of his reportedly "stolen" funds in the indictment shows that he
stole $36,000 via wire transfer from November 2021 to January 2023. The indictment states that majority of these funds were used to pay personal mortgage, credit card debt, and $10,000 "to fund his campaign account" for office.
He also is accused of using funds to pay for "personal psychic services"
which were not conducted through transfer, but via "direct debit
transactions from the HBA." Some of the personal purchases included an air conditioner, T-shirts supporting his political campaign, and clothing.
Beyond the five wire fraud counts, the grand jury also indicted him on one count of falsifying documents related to a campaign flier. The mailer from "Conservatives for Dennis" endorsed Flanagan, urging voters to "vote the person, not the party."
Flanagan reportedly "obstructed" Massachusetts Office of Campaign and
Political Finance's (OCPF) investigation by "attributing the source of the Mailer to a false persona, 'Jeanne Louise,'" whom he created for the endorsement, among other related actions. In October 2023, he admitted to
OCPF that Jeanne Louise "was fake" and he was the source of the mailer.
Flanagan was first elected to represent the towns of Dennis, Yarmouth, and Brewster in 2022.
What People Are Saying
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley said in a statement: "Today's charges against Massachusetts State Representative Christopher Flanagan reveal an
appalling breach of public trust. According to the indictment, 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."
Thomas Demeo, acting special agent in charge of the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office said in a
statement: "The indictment of Christopher Flanagan demonstrates IRS –
Criminal Investigations commitment to rooting out public corruption, at
all levels of government. Flanagan not only stole from his employer to
enrich himself, but also to fill the coffers of his campaign in an effort
to become an elected official. Flanagan failed his constituents, who
trusted in him to uphold the law, by using embezzled funds to become a
State Representative and then actively obstructing the investigation into
his scheme."
Mike Kennealy, a Republican candidate for Massachusetts governor, wrote in
an X, formerly Twitter, post on Friday: "I hope Maura Healey will join me
in calling for Chris Flanagan's immediate resignation."
Julian Cyr, a Massachusetts state Democratic senator, wrote in an X post
on Friday: "State Rep Chris Flanagan is facing serious charges and the
criminal justice system must respect the principle of presumed innocence. However, I do not see how Chris can continue to serve. For the good of his constituents and his family, he must resign."
Democratic Massachusetts House Speaker Ronald Mariano told Newsweek in an email: "This morning, the House learned through media reporting that Representative Chris Flanagan was arrested by federal authorities. While
every American is entitled to due process, the charges that have been
brought against Representative Flanagan are extraordinarily concerning,
and undermine public trust in the Legislature. The House will continue to monitor the legal process as it plays out, and will take the appropriate
steps if necessary to ensure accountability."
--
November 5, 2024 - Congratulations President Donald Trump. We look
forward to America being great again.
The disease known as Kamala Harris has been effectively treated and
eradicated.
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.
Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem. It has none.
Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
fiasco, President Trump.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.
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