U.S. Attorney Leah Foley declared her office laser-focused on rooting out fraud, warning that no public official gets a pass for stealing from federal relief programs.
This follows federal indictments of two sitting Democratic state representatives, one in April 2025 and the other just last week. State House News Service reporter Ella Adams explains this high-profile fraud ends up hurting people who need benefits by making it harder for them to get them.
Ella Adams, SHNS: Yeah. You're referring to the situation with Rep. Chris Flanagan of Dennis, back in 2025. And then just this week, Rep. Francisco Paulino was indicted.
I think you could say that every time there's a public benefits fraud case, it shows there are more actors who have allegedly chosen to take advantage of those programs, not in the way they were intended to be used. There was a press conference last week about Paulino and the indictment against him, and officials made a point to talk about how difficult it was for Americans during the pandemic, how difficult it was for businesses, and how the money that was allegedly scammed was meant for those struggling. And so it seems they're on high alert for those kinds of cases.
Carrie Healy, NEPM: Staying with last week's indictment of Methuen Rep. Francisco Paulino, what's been the reaction on Beacon Hill, particularly from Speaker Ron Mariano and House leadership?
House Speaker Ron Mariano is really the only person who has sent any kind of statement or had any kind of reaction to that. His statement Wednesday essentially said the House is aware of the situation. He called the charges brought against Paulino extremely concerning. He said the House will closely monitor the legal proceedings and take appropriate action, if necessary.
History shows Beacon Hill has had its share of corruption over the years. Three straight speakers — Charles Flaherty, Tom Finneran and Sal DiMasi — were convicted of federal crimes, and their successor, Bob DeLeo, resigned in 2020 amid a federal probation hiring probe. So when something like this happens, even if the alleged crimes occurred before a politician took office, it reopens old wounds. Ella, with that history in mind, are there still dedicated public corruption units actively keeping an eye on state and local officials?
I think the fact that Paulino was indicted this week proves there are people like the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts and the inspector general who are taking seriously tips and such related to these kinds of allegations. U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said last week that the investigation started years ago, in 2023.
So, clearly there's a watchful eye for situations like these.
Whether oversight comes from corruption units or from federal prosecutors, isn't the ultimate check on public trust happening at the ballot box? Ella, voters are heading to the polls for tomorrow's primary election. How much are issues of ethics and accountability weighing on key legislative races across the state?
I would say accountability is always at the polls, right?
And voters, by casting their vote, are saying either that yes, they believe in their representation and feel like they're responsive and accountable, or no, they feel like someone new needs to take their place.
Accountability of sorts, in a broad sense, is also on the ballot this year with regard to things like transparency, public records, concerns about the audit and things like that.
Turning to state agency news, the Department of Transitional Assistance is now mailing chip- and tap-enabled EBT cards to clients to combat widespread skimming theft. Are Massachusetts officials confident these chip cards will finally put a dent in benefit fraud, and are stolen benefits lost for good once a card gets skimmed?
The governor said in July, when they launched the chip cards, that it's part of the administration's push to prevent fraud and theft moving forward so the benefits go to people who actually need them.
In terms of the process for getting back stolen funds, the Department of Transitional Assistance lays it out on its website. It says federal law authorizes reimbursement for stolen benefits before a date in December 2024, so benefits stolen after that date cannot be reimbursed.
