Boston City Council blocks resolution calling for removal of disgraced Tania Fernandes Anderson

A Boston City Council resolution that called for the removal of disgraced Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson in the wake of her conviction on federal corruption charges was blocked for a second straight week Councilor Liz Breadon objected Wednesday to a non-binding resolution co-sponsored by Councilors Erin Murphy and Ed Flynn that called for the Council to formally address the matter of Fernandes Anderson s continued system Breadon s objection blocked a vote on the matter and automatically sent the resolution which is not legally binding and thus symbolic in nature to a Council committee for a anticipated hearing We have been talking about this for months Breadon explained at the day s meeting I share the frustration of several of my constituents that we spend way too much time focused on these issues and that we need to be focused on the demands of our neighborhood and our constituents I think the potholes need fixing We have a lot of work to do And frankly the legal process is taking its lesson and we are not going to change that direction We re not going to change that outcome I feel that at this moment we need to focus on the work that we are sent here to do she added Murphy argued however that constituents are deeply concerned about why Fernandes Anderson who was absent from the day s meeting remains in office after she was convicted on two federal felony charges Those corruption charges are tied to a kickback scheme carried out at City Hall per the indictment Murphy commented that while the law is clear on the matter in terms of councilors being removed from the body only after sentencing which has not yet occurred and is scheduled for July it was still pivotal for the Council to take a stand This proposed resolution doesn t seek to enforce illegal removal but to express our collective moral stance Murphy revealed By leaning on legal technicalities the Council risks appearing evasive avoiding a clear position on an issue that deeply concerns our constituents The resolution I filed with Councilor Flynn isn t about forcing anyone out it s about taking a stand she added We pass non-binding resolutions on various issues all the time on international conflicts national policies historical acknowledgments These actions while symbolic reflect our collective values and our commitment to justice So why hesitate now when the issue is in our chamber Murphy noted Fernandes Anderson s continued presence undermines populace trust and distracts from our work I think the status quo is no longer an option Flynn added We need to show the residents of Boston that we understand the major challenge ethical challenge this body faces and we must rise to the occasion and ensure that ethics will invariably be part of city leadership and that we will address issues as they come along even if they are controversial It s major for us to collectively come together as a body he explained and provide the leadership that has been lacking for a period of time because of our inaction on this particular matter Council President Ruthzee Louijeune noted however that the City Council s stance on the matter was already clear and has been for months She announced that by calling for Fernandes Anderson s resignation upon her federal indictment and arrest last December she was not only speaking for herself but on behalf of the entire body In December as the president of the City Council Louijeune mentioned I stated what I held was in the best interest of this body speaking on behalf of this body believe that because the residents interest is so pivotal because populace trust is so major because making sure that voters and residents believe in us in our ability to do this work that I believe that it was in the best interest of the councilor to resign I disclosed that clearly emphatically and I repeated that as such as the leader of this body who knows that residents want us filling potholes cleaning streets doing all that So I m here to make sure that we re doing the work of the people that we re not playing politics and that we are following the letter of the law she mentioned Louijeune added that she removed Fernandes Anderson from all Council committees in early April after her intention to plead guilty and the plea deal she accepted became masses in a federal court filing Such a move is within the Council s purview per a legal opinion Louijeune sought from a city attorney who also stated that the Council does not have the authority to remove members Rather councilors are automatically removed from office after being sentenced to prison on a felony conviction the city attorney wrote The resolution was blocked last week as well when Murphy and Flynn first sought to introduce it as an emergency late file at that Council meeting which took place two days after Fernandes Anderson pleaded guilty to two federal corruption charges in Boston federal court Last week s objection was made by Councilor Julia Mejia an occasional ally of Fernandes Anderson preventing it from being added to the agenda Mejia announced last week she objected to the late-file measure because Fernandes Anderson was not present for the discussion Fernandes Anderson who represents Roxbury-centric District and is paid a salary was absent from this week s meeting as well Like last week she cited a family urgency in an absence letter that was read into the record by the city clerk and mentioned that it was medically-related After her conviction last week Fernandes Anderson explained reporters outside the federal courthouse that she plans to officially resign next month after the City Council budget process which typically wraps up with a vote in late June She communicated she would be resigning in early April after agreeing to a plea deal As part of the plea deal U S Attorney Leah Foley recommended that Fernandes Anderson be sentenced to a year and a day in prison and ordered to pay in restitution Related Articles Boston strikes deal opening 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