Massachusetts State Representative Christopher Flanagan was taken into custody on Friday and charged with embezzling tens of thousands of dollars allegedly used for personal and political expenditures, which included payments for psychic services.
Flanagan, who is 37 years old and from Dennis, is scheduled to appear for an initial hearing in federal court in Boston on Friday afternoon. He was indicted On five charges of wire fraud and one charge of tampering with documents.
Christopher Flanagan indictment
Beyond his position as a state representative, Flanagan served as the executive officer of a Home Builders Association (HBA) based in Cape Cod. The U.S. Attorney stated that this secondary role provided him with an additional income of up to $81,600 annually, alongside his state earnings of $100,945.
Even though he had two jobs, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley stated that Flanagan was experiencing significant monetary troubles, including substantial credit card debts, missed mortgage installments, and numerous banking penalties due to account overdraws.
According to the indictment, he allegedly embezzled a total of $36,000 from the HBA between November 2021 and January 2023 using five distinct electronic fund transfers.
Funds for campaigns and "individual psychic services"
During an incident in January 2023, Flanagan reportedly took $10,000 from HBA with the intention of financing his campaign for State Representative," Foley stated. "Additionally, in July 2022, Flanagan purloined several hundred dollars through automated payments from the organization’s bank account to cover expenses related to personal spiritual counseling sessions.
Investigators stated that Flanagan subsequently accessed the HBA’s accounting system with another person's credentials and recorded the expenditures as office supplies, travel costs, and banking fees. Additionally, he purportedly fabricated two false expense reports.
The Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance conducted an investigation into Flanagan's campaign as well. According to their claims, Flanagan, who belongs to the Democratic party, fabricated an individual called "Jeanne Louise," asserting that this person was associated with a conservative organization set to endorse him. This purported organization subsequently distributed mailings to likely voters aimed at supporting his campaign.
Foley described the accusations against Flanagan as "a shocking violation of public trust."
"Mr. Flanagan reportedly swindled the institution he was meant to support—allegedly diverting tens of thousands of dollars into his personal accounts to settle private debts, purchase high-end goods, and fund his political bid. The allegations suggest he took funds and then went to extreme measures to conceal his actions, even resorting to creating false identities to deceive those scrutinizing his behavior," stated Foley on Friday.
Flanagan initially got elected in 2022. He serves as the representative for Dennis, Yarmouth, and Brewster located on Cape Cod. As of now, he hasn’t made any public statements regarding the accusations against him.
Call to resign
House Minority Leader Brad Jones, a Republican representing North Reading, described Flanagan's arrest as "disturbing yet expected," noting that they had been aware of the ongoing investigation for "many months now."
Now that legal proceedings are underway, it’s evident what actions need to be taken. Representative Flanagan has violated his pledge of public service, and I’m calling upon him to act in the best interest of his constituents by stepping down without delay. Should he decline to do so, Speaker Mariano ought to promptly instruct the House Ethics Committee to initiate an investigation into this issue.
