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City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson violated campaign finance law, according to state review
Fernandes Anderson took remedial actions, but was warned that referral to the attorney general is on the table if further instances of noncompliance are found.
Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson was found to have violated multiple state campaign finance law provisions over the past year, according to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.
The violations were identified during a “routine analysis” of finance reports from Fernandes Anderson’s campaign committee during the period of November 2023 through September 2024. Fernandes Anderson agreed to appoint a new treasurer for the committee and to pay $1,750 to the state, according to a letter sent by OCPF Director William Campbell to Fernandes Anderson earlier this month.
Fernandes Anderson was elected to City Council in 2021 to represent District 7. Her office did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
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One of the violations involved the late disclosure of certain deposits. All contributions over $50 must be itemized in campaign finance reports, but Fernandes Anderson’s campaign committee failed to file some reports in a timely manner. About $34,500 was deposited into the committee’s bank account between November 2023 and August 2024, but approximately $32,900 of that total was not disclosed on time.
“It was only after numerous letters, phone calls, and emails from OCPF staff, that the Committee e-filed the required deposit reports,” Campbell wrote.
Other violations concerned excess contributions to the campaign committee. Individual contributions are limited to $1,000, in the aggregate, during any calendar year. In 2023, her committee received $1,500 in excess contributions from two people. In 2024, one person made an excess contribution of $250, according to the letter. The committee purged $1,750 to the state in September to resolve the matter.
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In 2023, Fernandes Anderson’s committee also received two contributions of $100 each from the campaign committee of state Sen. Liza Miranda, who represents part of Boston. One was sent in January 2023, the other in August 2023. State law prohibits one candidate’s committee from contributing more than $100 in the aggregate per calendar year to another candidate’s committee. OCPF determined that Fernandes Anderson’s committee received a $100 excess contribution, and it resolved the matter by refunding Miranda’s committee the $100 in April of this year.
Finally, Fernandes Anderson’s committee was found to have clarified certain expenditures too late. OCPF asked the committee to clarify 46 expenditures totaling $14,400. Only after letters, phone calls, and emails did the committee clarify the expenditures by appending bank reports.
The OCPF determined that no further action is required from Fernandes Anderson, as her committee has taken the “appropriate remedial actions.”
However, Campbell warned that “further instances of noncompliance may result in referral to the Attorney General.”
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