Christopher Flanagan, a Massachusetts Democratic state representative, has been arrested and accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars “to fund personal and political expenses,” including “psychic services.”
Flanagan, 37, of Dennis, was charged with five counts of wire fraud and one count of falsifying records. He pleaded not guilty to all charges in federal court in Boston on Friday afternoon and was released, CBS News reported.
In addition to his job as a state lawmaker, Flanagan served as the executive director of the Cape Cod Home Builders Association (HBA). According to the U.S. Attorney, that work paid him up to $81,600 last year, on top of his state compensation of $100,945.
Despite the two jobs, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley stated that 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.”
According to the accusation, he stole $36,000 from the HBA via five distinct wire transfers between November 2021 and January 2023.
“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. 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. This alleged scheme was calculated on every level. No one is entitled to power by way of fraud, and the people of Massachusetts deserve better,” United States Attorney Leah B. Foley said in a press release posted to the Department of Justice’s website.
“Today’s arrest of Massachusetts State Representative, Christopher Flanagan, demonstrates that postal inspectors will not permit elected officials to commit fraud and play by different rules. Flanagan’s egregious betrayal to his positions of trust and his deplorable actions of lining his own pockets for personal or political reasons are unacceptable. The people of Massachusetts deserve better. I want to thank the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their dedication to make this arrest happen. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to serve the public and take action against those who take part in this type of atrocious behavior,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division.
