The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance released the following statement today in response to the arrest of State Representative David Nangle (D-Lowell) this morning on charges related to misuse of campaign funds:

“Today’s news that another Beacon Hill lawmaker used his position to enrich himself should not surprise anyone who has been observing the House chamber since Speaker DeLeo took over. The Speaker used term limits to get elected, only to get rid of them to benefit himself. He uses a taxpayer funded credit card to enjoy fine dining, only to attempt to keep it a secret from the public scrutiny. Why wouldn’t Rep. Nangle, a top DeLeo lieutenant, feel he’s entitled to use his campaign account for alleged personal enrichment,” commented Paul D. Craney, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance.

Nangle, who serves in the leadership team of Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, as well as on the House Ethics Committee, was charged with 10 counts of wire fraud, 4 counts of bank fraud, 9 counts of making a false statement to a bank, and 5 counts of filing false tax returns. 

“In just the last few years, we’ve seen Brian Joyce and Garrett Bradley resign for similar charges. Without strong leadership at the Statehouse, this type of behavior will continue,” concluded Craney. 

The Massachusetts legislature is the only state legislative body in the country that exempts itself from both public records laws and open meeting laws. 

A full copy of the indictment is available by clicking here.