Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson is under federal investigation, a source familiar with the matter told 25 Investigates.
Details about the probe were not immediately available on Tuesday. No criminal charges have been filed.
Boston 25 has reached out to Fernandes Anderson for comment.
On Nov. 2, 2021, Fernandes Anderson, who was born in Cape Verde, became the first African immigrant and Muslim-American to be elected to the Boston City Council, according to biographical information on the city’s website.
Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune issued a statement on the matter on Tuesday.
“It is important to respect the legal process. Drawing any conclusions right now would be premature,” Louijeune said. “As the President of the Boston City Council and as a lawyer, I want to emphasize that any actions that are found to undermine the law must be taken very seriously.”
“The work of the Council will proceed without disruption and we will remain focused on the issues most important to residents, including acting with integrity as a body,” Louijeune said. “At this time, I will refrain from any further comments, while urging everyone to avoid speculation and to respect due process.”
Fernandes Anderson, who represents Roxbury, Dorchester, and part of the South End, is not new to controversy while serving on the Boston City Council.
In 2023, Fernandes Anderson agreed to pay a $5,000 civil penalty after admitting to violating the conflict of interest law by hiring her sister and son to paid positions on her Boston City Council staff, state officials said.
Soon after her November 2021 election to the Boston City Council, Fernandes Anderson appointed her sister as her full-time Director of Constituent Services, according to the disposition agreement.
Fernandes Anderson initially set her sister’s annual salary at $65,000. In June 2022, she increased it to $70,000 and awarded her sister a $7,000 bonus, according to the disposition agreement.
Also, in June 2022, Fernandes Anderson appointed her son as her full-time office manager at an annual salary of $52,000. 11 days later, her son’s salary increased to $70,000.
Fernandes Anderson ended the employment of her sister and son on Aug. 31, 2022.
Before serving as councilor, Fernandes Anderson was the executive director of Bowdoin Geneva Main Streets, a parent advocate with the Boston Public Schools, program manager for a homeless women’s shelter, a business owner, and a child social worker, according to the city. She has also been a foster mom to 17 kids while raising two biological children.
Fernandes Anderson also founded Noah’s Advocate, a “trauma-informed mental health nonprofit that serves underrepresented communities,” according to the city. She is also the founder of a non-profit that supports at-risk youth through theatre, fashion, and art. The nonprofit’s shows and performances routinely sell out the Strand Theatre in Dorchester.
She is a graduate of the John D. O’Bryant High School of Mathematics and Science in Roxbury and Springfield College, and the mother of a U.S. Marine and a young emerging artist, according to her biographical information provided by the city.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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