Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
Cape Cod state rep. accused of stealing from former employer to fund campaign expenses, psychic services
Prosecutors allege state Rep. Christopher Flanagan stole $36,000 from the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Cape Cod while serving as its executive officer.
Cape Cod state Rep. Christopher Flanagan stole from his former employer, a local trade group, and used the money to pay for campaign expenses, credit card bills, menswear, and psychic services, federal authorities alleged Friday.
The second-term Democrat from Dennis was arrested Friday morning following his indictment on five counts of wire fraud and one count of falsification of records, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts said in a press release. Flanagan pleaded not guilty Friday and was released on certain conditions, including orders to surrender his passport and report to a probation officer.
Previously:
Prosecutors allege the 37-year-old stole $36,000 from the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Cape Cod over a 14-month span while serving as the group’s executive officer. According to the indictment, Flanagan purportedly used the stolen funds to pay his mortgage bills and credit card debts, put $10,000 toward his campaign account, and purchase appliances, clothing, and hundreds of dollars of “personal psychic services.”
Advertisement:
Flanagan’s attorney, Greg Henning, said in an email Friday he’s still reviewing documents in the case. Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley called the charges “an appalling breach of public trust.”
Flanagan “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,” Foley said in a statement. “No one is entitled to power by way of fraud, and the people of Massachusetts deserve better.”
Advertisement:
Though he worked at the Home Builders & Remodelers Association between 2019 and 2024 and made as much as $81,600 a year, Flanagan had money troubles as early as the fall of 2021, according to the indictment. Prosecutors allege he owed thousands of dollars in credit card debit and had missed mortgage payments and racked up bank overdraft fees. Flanagan’s annual compensation from the state was about $97,546 and $100,945 in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
The indictment alleges Flanagan also tried to cover his tracks by logging into the trade group’s bookkeeping software under another employee’s name, entering backdated transactions and false transaction codes, and supplying phony expense reports. In one such report, he allegedly claimed he spent $537.26 on “office supplies” that turned out to be T-shirts for his campaign.
Flanagan left the Home Builders & Remodelers Association last May, shortly after state campaign finance regulators fined him $15,000 for creating an alias, “Jeanne Louise,” to conceal his role in paying for a campaign mailer that ostensibly came from the group “Conservatives for Dennis.”
The state’s Office of Campaign and Political Finance later expanded its investigation into Flanagan, requesting proof that the $10,000 he deposited into his campaign account in January 2023 came from personal funds, as he claimed. But federal prosecutors allege Flanagan could not have given his campaign that much money without stealing from the Home Builders & Remodelers Association, as his personal bank account had a balance of just $42.28 one week prior.
Advertisement:
In response, they allege, Flanagan submitted falsified expense reports to the OCPF claiming the $10,000 he received from the trade group was for legitimate reimbursements.
Lawmakers react
News of Flanagan’s indictment was met with swift — and bipartisan — calls for his resignation.
“These are serious allegations against Representative Flanagan that threaten to undermine the important work of the Legislature and cast doubt on his ability to faithfully serve his constituents,” Gov. Maura Healey said. “He should resign.”
State Sen. Julian Cyr, a fellow member of the Cape Cod delegation, also called on Flanagan to step down.
“These are serious charges and the criminal justice system must respect the principle of presumed innocence, however, this news casts a shadow on the good work of the Legislature,” Cyr said in a statement. “I do not see how Chris can continue to serve the people of Brewster, Dennis, and Yarmouth. For the good of his constituents and his family, he must resign.”
House Minority Leader Brad Jones suggested the House Ethics Committee should launch an investigation if Flanagan fails to do so.
“Chris Flanagan should resign immediately,” the Massachusetts Republican Party echoed, urging Democratic leadership to “put the people of Massachusetts first, restore integrity in public service, and take a stand against corruption by joining the MassGOP in demanding Flanagan’s immediate removal from office.”
Advertisement:
House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano stopped short of calling for Flanagan to step down, saying the House will “continue to monitor the legal process as it plays out, and will take the appropriate steps if necessary to ensure accountability.”
“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,” Mariano said.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com