Indicted Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson says she can't afford attorney's fees

Flint McColgan, Boston Herald on Jan 30, 2025

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BOSTON — Indicted Boston City Counselor Tania Fernandes Anderson, who was federally charged for an alleged kickback scheme, says she can’t afford the fees of her court-appointed attorney and wants a payment plan.

“The Court has ordered Ms. Fernandes Anderson to make a payment of $5000 to the Clerk’s Office by January 31, 2025 for the purpose of contributing to the costs of court-appointed counsel,” her attorney, Scott Lauer of the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Boston, wrote in a Thursday motion to modify schedule. her payment

“Ms. Fernandes Anderson will comply with the Court’s directive but is unable to pay the full balance at this time,” the filing continued, noting that her bank statements will be filed under seal for the court to review.

Fernandes Anderson proposed to pay $1,000 immediately and then get on a $1,000 monthly payment plan until the balance is paid.

As a Boston city counselor, Fernandes-Anderson will make $120,000 this year after the council voted in a 5% pay hike for themselves, the second such pay hike in as many years. She represents Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway and part of the South End.

A Second-term Councilor, Fernandes Anderson, 46, was arrested at her Dorchester home at on Dec. 6 and faces six public corruption charges: five counts of aiding and abetting wire fraud and one count of aiding and abetting theft concerning a program receiving federal funds.

Fernandes Anderson is accused of hiring a relative to her staff and giving this staff member a generous bonus of $13,000 — but under the secret condition that $7,000 tax-free of that bonus be kicked back to her. Court complaints allege that she may have been motivated in part by financial difficulties. The feds say the cash was handed over in a City Hall bathroom.

She has been released from custody under standard conditions, which includes surrendering her passport, not leaving the state, checking in with probation, not contacting witnesses and not using marijuana.

The case against her includes such a massive amount of evidence, prosecutors say — including a database of more than a million files — that an alternative schedule for filing it all was sought. The next round of filings is expected Friday. Fernandes Anderson is due back in federal court in Boston on March 5.

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