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Fernandes Anderson returns to work as potential challengers line up for her seat
Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson led a virtual hearing Monday, just days after being arrested for an alleged kickback scheme.
Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson returned to work Monday, three days after she was arrested on public corruption charges by federal authorities.
The embattled councilor led a hearing on how to redress historic racial harms, ignoring calls for her resignation. At the same time, potential challengers for Fernandes Anderson’s seat are ramping up their campaigns.
Fernandes Anderson appeared virtually in her role as chair of the Committee on Civil Rights, Racial Equity, and Immigrant Advancement. Councilors Erin Murphy and Ed Flynn, who both urged Fernandes Anderson to resign after she was arrested, participated in the hearing. There was no mention of Fernandes Anderson’s arrest or the charges against her during the meeting. Murphy thanked her for “gathering” the attendees and advocating for her district.
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Fernandes Anderson represents District 7, which includes Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway, and part of the South End. Prosecutors say she orchestrated a kickback scheme involving a family member who was also hired as a staffer within her office.
Fernandes Anderson did not disclose that this staffer was a family member, but issued them a $13,000 bonus with the agreement that $7,000 would be secretly handed back to the councilor, who was struggling financially in early 2023. The handoff of that cash payment occurred in a City Hall bathroom last year, according to federal authorities.
She briefly appeared in federal court Friday, entering a not guilty plea before being released on conditions that include regular reporting to probation officials, staying in Massachusetts, surrendering her passport, and staying away from any witnesses.
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News broke early last week that Fernandes Anderson was being investigated by federal law enforcement, but the specifics were not made public until Friday. She appeared at a City Council hearing last week before being arrested, telling reporters that she had no plans to resign. Over the weekend, Fernandes Anderson continued to post on social media about regular council business. She has limited which Facebook users can comment on these posts.
Mayor Michelle Wu, Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, Councilor Sharon Durkan, and Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata have all called for Fernandes Anderson’s resignation, alongside Murphy and Flynn. The full City Council is scheduled to meet in person on Wednesday.
Will Fernandes Anderson face a challenge for her seat?
Fernandes Anderson was initially elected in 2021, and won reelection last year. She is up for reelection again next year, and already appears to have a few challengers.
Said Ahmed, a track coach who cofounded the Boston United Track and Cross Country Club, a free youth track program, announced his intent to run for City Council on Dec. 4. Ahmed, who also ran track professionally and worked within Boston Public Schools, wrote about his desire to take “bold action” in a series of social media posts.
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“I’ve dedicated my life to empowering Boston’s youth. My work in education and athletics has always been about creating opportunities, and I believe we can transform our schools and neighborhoods to support every student and family,” he wrote.
Ahmed filed paperwork with the state in October about running for City Council, but did not begin publicizing his campaign until last week. This delay was to solidify his platform and perfect his website and was unrelated to the scandal involving Fernandes Anderson, Ahmed told the Boston Herald.
The other candidate is Said Abdikarim, The Dorchester Reporter reported in October. Abdikarim volunteered to work on the campaigns of former District 7 Councilor Tito Jackson, Mayor Wu, the late Mayor Tom Menino, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley.
Abdikarim has worked at the at the nonprofit African Community Economic Development of New England, and the Islamic Society of Boston, per the Reporter. He ran for an at-large City Council seat in 2021.
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