In 2021, Tania Fernandes Anderson made history as the first Muslim-American and first African immigrant elected to the Boston City Council. But a little over three years later, she pled guilty to charges of wire fraud and theft Tuesday and said she would resign from the city’s governing body .
Her plea agreement on two charges — one count of wire fraud and another of theft concerning a program receiving federal funds — douses her flame as a political trailblazer, disappointing many of her constituents and supporters.
One supporter, Afnan Nehela, told GBH News in November 2021 that her election — “rocking her hijab as a Black Muslim candidate” — was “a huge milestone” for the entire Muslim community. Now, many supporters feel let down by her actions as member of the council.
Political analyst Jacquetta Van Zandt is host of the Politics and Prosecco podcast and worked on Fernandes Anderson’s first campaign for city council. She and Fernandes Anderson were high school classmates and she considered her a friend. Van Zandt said she is disappointed that this indictment will be attached to her legacy as an elected official.
“We all had hope that Tania, being young, being vocal, already having roots in advocacy, that she would come in and bring a fresh perspective,” she said. “And that didn’t happen.”
Van Zandt said that the lack of accountability among public officials in both Boston and statewide has been a lingering problem.
“On one side, I’m really sad about this. On the other side, I’m pissed. I am pissed that we’ve seen this many, many times in this city and not just Chuck Turner. We’ve seen this across the state and we still don’t have a way of holding people accountable,” Van Zandt said.
Former city councilor Chuck Turner, who represented the same district, was removed from the council following a federal bribery conviction in 2010. He was sentenced to three years in prison for accepting a $1,000 bribe and served 28 months. Turned filed suit, saying didn’t have the authority to remove him from office. In 2013, the City of Boston paid Turner $106,000 to settle the case .
“No matter if they look like us, no matter if they are the same party — everybody is subject to accountability when you ask somebody for your vote,” Van Zandt said.
She is a homeowner in District 7 and said her fellow constituents are now in a precarious position.
“What happens to those people who have things in the pipeline, asking for resources or needing her help or questions about the budget?” she said. “Where are they going to go to get these answers now?”
Armani White is a third-generation Roxbury resident and co-founder of Reclaim Roxbury, an organization focused on improving the quality of life of Roxbury residents.
He said it would be a waste of the city’s resources to hold a special election to replace Fernandes Anderson as there will be preliminary elections in September.
He said it would be unfair to blame the district for the actions of one individual.
“This is an unfortunate situation and it’s disappointing but Roxbury’s gonna continue to elect and advocate to have strong leadership,” White said. “The District 7 councilor has always been an unafraid, bold leader and we’re going to continue to have unafraid, bold leaders.”
Fernandes Anderson’s political rise began in 2021 as she won the District 7 council seat against Roy Owens, a perennial candidate who positioned himself as an alternative to her “anti-American, anti-Christian” views. As a Sunni Muslim born in Cape Verde, she became the first Muslim and African-immigrant elected to the Boston City Council .
Before entering politics, she founded Noah’s Advocate, a trauma-informed mental health nonprofit that serves underrepresented communities. Her background also includes work introducing those same underrepresented communities and at-risk youths to performing arts.
She also served as the executive director of the Bowdoin Geneva Main Streets, a Dorchester nonprofit that supports local businesses, neighborhood organizations and residents.
During her brief tenure on the city council, she was responsible for creating the District 7 Action Plan that looked into the area’s strengths and shortcomings in seven critical areas: economic development, housing, environmental justice, civic engagement, education, public health and public safety.
She supported efforts to create a commission to study paying reparations to Boston’s Black residents .
Fernandes Anderson issued a statement on Tuesday confirming her decision to resign and to “resolve the case” brought against her. She apologized to her constituents, supporters and all that have been impacted.
“Please forgive me,” she said in the written statement. “I will be resigning. It is the right thing to do. In coming days, I will evaluate transition plans and timeline with the District 7 Advisory Council. I will do everything possible to make an orderly exit to ensure my constituents’ needs are met.”
Fernandes Anderson declined to speak with GBH News.
