BOSTON – JULY 16: The Massachusetts State House in Boston, MA on July 16, 2020. (Photo by Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
The House Committee on Ethics will investigate Massachusetts Rep. Christopher Flanagan, who was indicted last week on federal fraud charges, once legal proceedings against him wrap up, the panel's chair said Monday afternoon.
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian, the new chair of the Ethics Committee, said House Rules prevent the committee from either confirming or denying whether it is presently investigating any matter. The House Rules state that all proceedings of the Ethics Committee "including the filing of the initial complaint shall be considered confidential information."
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"That said, consistent with past practices, the Committee will wait for the judicial process to play out to avoid any possible disruption or obstruction to the ongoing criminal proceedings. The Committee will conduct an investigation into Rep. Flanagan at the conclusion of the judicial proceedings," the Melrose Democrat said.
Flanagan, a Dennis Democrat, pleaded not guilty to five counts of wire fraud and one count of falsification of records Friday afternoon. Prosecutors allege that Flanagan defrauded his former employer, the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Cape Cod, to pay for personal and political expenses and then falsified campaign finance records.
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Flanagan's federal case is expected to continue with a status conference scheduled for May 22.
Calls for Flanagan's resignation have come from the Mass. Republican Party, Gov. Maura Healey, Cape Cod Sens. Julian Cyr and Dylan Fernandes, and others. So far, House leaders including Speaker Ronald Mariano have stopped short of calling Flanagan to step down.
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Mariano said Friday that the House would "continue to monitor the legal process as it plays out, and will take the appropriate steps if necessary to ensure accountability."
