The expenses within the audit reports of Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson's campaign committee present a rather peculiar picture. It almost seems as if one might mistake them for a large family credit card bill. For instance, there were $1,630.65 spent at a BJ’s Wholesale Club, $17 at Taco Bell, and $410 at Restaurante Cesaria in Dorchester. These expenses caught the attention of the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance, which flagged them and numerous others, demanding more documentation. Eventually, the councilor complied, stating that the BJ’s groceries in June 2023 were for a migrant food drive. However, Fernandes Anderson has a significant number of audit letters and reviews in her file dating back to 2021, which is far more than usual, according to specialists in campaign finance. Many of these letters repeat prior requests that went unanswered.

Public Records and Financial Strife

Public records reviewed by WBUR paint a picture of a city councilor who has endured years of financial turmoil. This strain has seeped into her political life, leading to shoddy recordkeeping, rule violations, and the involvement of her family in her financial affairs. Allegedly, this culminated in a cash payment that prosecutors claim was illegal.Fernandes Anderson was arrested earlier this month on half a dozen federal corruption charges. Prosecutors allege that on June 9, 2023, just one day after the trip to Taco Bell, she took a $7,000 cash kickback from a staffer in a City Hall bathroom. The indictment further alleges that she employed this kickback scheme at a time when she was trying to pay off debts. Instead of finding a legal way to obtain funds, she "chose to violate her fiduciary duty and defraud the city of Boston," as stated by U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua Levy. Fernandes Anderson has pleaded not guilty.As recently as last month, she was working to resolve campaign finance infractions with state regulators. In Massachusetts, public officials can use the cash from their campaign funds on anything that enhances their "political future" and is not "primarily for personal use." However, there are certain reporting requirements, and in Fernandes Anderson's case, she often seemed to be delinquent.There were payments filed with missing details, such as $500 for a youth canvasser whose name was illegible and $35 to a man for an unclear reason. There were also large purchases at Walgreen’s, Stop & Shop, and Target without proper explanations.Daniel Weiner, director of the elections and government program at NYU’s Brennan Center for Justice, remarked, "It’s striking, particularly in Massachusetts where the rules are fairly weak, that she felt she didn’t even have to bother to give any sort of explanation. In fact, there might be a plausible connection for some of these purchases."