Democrat Massachusetts Lawmaker Arrested on Federal Fraud Charges in Stunning Corruption Scandal

Christopher Flanagan (Credit: malegislature.gov)

In yet another stunning chapter of Democrat corruption, Massachusetts State Representative Christopher Flanagan (D-First Barnstable) was arrested Thursday after being indicted on five counts of wire fraud and one count of falsification of records in connection to a brazen scheme to steal tens of thousands of dollars from a local trade association.

The embattled Cape Cod legislator allegedly used the stolen cash to fund everything from mortgage payments and Macy’s menswear to psychic services, children’s toys, and even his 2022 political campaign.

Flanagan, 37, who represents the Cape towns of Dennis, Yarmouth, and Brewster, is now facing up to 120 years in prison if convicted. He was arrested Thursday morning and is scheduled to appear in federal court at 2:30 p.m.

According to the bombshell federal indictment, Flanagan’s theft began in 2021 while he was serving as Executive Officer of the Home Builders Association of Cape Cod (HBA).

With personal debt mounting and his bank accounts hemorrhaging from overdraft fees and missed mortgage payments, Flanagan allegedly began siphoning money from the nonprofit — ultimately embezzling at least $36,000 through wire transfers, PayPal, and official checks.

Flanagan allegedly used the association’s funds for:

$10,000 to fund his own political campaign

$1,000+ on men’s ties, dress shirts, and sports coats

Hundreds of dollars for psychic readings

An air conditioner and an electric dryer delivered to his home

Campaign t-shirts disguised as “office supplies”

Toys and children’s clothing from Target

Flanagan allegedly created fraudulent expense reports and even logged into the HBA’s bookkeeping system using another employee’s credentials to conceal the theft.

According to the U.S. Attorney, he fabricated phony receipts and labeled luxury items as “office supplies” or “travel expenses.”

Via MA’s Attorney’s Office:

As part of his concealment, it is alleged that Flanagan told the HBA Board that he withdrew funds to reimburse himself for HBA-related expenses that he had paid for out-of-pocket with his personal funds. When the HBA Board requested proof, Flanagan allegedly provided two phony expense reports:

On the first expense report, Flanagan allegedly claimed he had spent $159.36 on “Technology Expenses” at Best Buy on March 4, 2022 and $537.26 on “Office Supplies” at 4Imprint on April 18, 2022.

Records of the actual purchases, however, allegedly showed that the Best Buy purchase was for a portable Bluetooth speaker and that the 4Imprint purchase was for t-shirts supporting Flanagan’s State Representative campaign:

Additionally, in the second expense report, Flanagan allegedly claimed to have spent a total of $3,784.84 on “Office Supplies.” Records of the actual purchases, however, allegedly showed that $2,118.10 of this amount was actually used for Flanagan’s personal expenses.

Specifically: $613.70 and $361.24 Best Buy purchases were allegedly for an electric dryer and an air conditioner, both delivered to Flanagan’s home; a $1,050.30 Macy’s purchase allegedly for men’s ties, dress shirts, slacks and sports coats; and a $92.86 purchase at Target allegedly for children’s clothes and toys.

According to the indictment, in or about December 2022, the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) opened an investigation regarding a campaign mailer that was distributed during Flanagan’s 2022 campaign for State Representative, purportedly a group called “Conservatives for Dennis.”

When investigators closed in, Flanagan didn’t stop. Instead, he allegedly invented a fake conservative persona — “Jeanne Louise” — and created email accounts to impersonate her and others, all in a desperate attempt to deceive the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF), which had launched a probe into his shady campaign mailers.

When OCPF questioned a $10,000 donation to his campaign made shortly after the theft, Flanagan doubled down — providing more falsified records and claiming the funds were his personal money, despite bank records showing he had just $42 in his account days prior.

Flanagan remains in office as of this writing, continuing to collect a taxpayer-funded salary north of $100,000 a year. He faces a maximum sentence of 120 years in federal prison and $1.5 million in fines. Sentencing will ultimately be determined by a federal judge.

MassGOP urges Massachusetts Democrats to demand the immediate resignation of Rep. Chris Flanagan following his federal fraud arrest.

According to the statement:

The Massachusetts Republican Party is calling on the Massachusetts Democratic Party to demand the immediate resignation of State Representative Chris Flanagan, who was arrested this week on federal fraud charges. The charges allege that Flanagan stole tens of thousands of dollars from his former employer to finance his political campaign, pay his mortgage and credit cards, and fund personal expenses including psychic services and high-end menswear.

“This is not the first time the Massachusetts Republican Party has called for Chris Flanagan to resign,” said MassGOP Chairwoman Amy Carnevale. “Back in January, when the Office of Campaign and Political Finance found Flanagan responsible for violating campaign finance laws—including fabricating a false alias to intentionally mislead his constituents—we said then that he had no place in public office. The federal charges only confirm what was already evident: Chris Flanagan is unfit to serve, and Massachusetts Democrats must demand his resignation now.”

Flanagan’s arrest is not an isolated incident—it is part of a disturbing pattern of misconduct within the Massachusetts Democratic Party. In just the past two weeks:

Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, a Democrat, remains in office despite pleading guilty to multiple counts of fraud.
A high-ranking MassDems Party operative was recently arrested for unspeakable and deeply disturbing crimes.
Now, State Representative Chris Flanagan faces federal criminal charges for financial fraud and deception.

“The Massachusetts Democratic Party has a serious problem,” continued Carnevale. “This is not about isolated bad actors—it’s about a culture of corruption and entitlement that’s gone unchecked for far too long. The MassDems must demonstrate they are capable of holding their own accountable, starting with calling for Chris Flanagan’s resignation today.”

The Massachusetts Republican Party urges Democratic leadership to put the people of Massachusetts first, restore integrity in public service, and take a stand against corruption by demanding Flanagan’s immediate removal from office.

Whether the Massachusetts Democrat Party will take action — or continue to protect one of its own — remains to be seen.

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