5 things to know about Councilor Fernandes Anderson's arrest

If you're catching up on Friday's news in Boston, you've missed a lot. Federal officers arrested Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson early Friday and filed an indictment accusing her of a roster of federal corruption charges.

Here are five things to know about what happened this morning:

Fernandes Anderson was elected to the city council in 2021, succeeding Kim Janey in representing District 7, which covers parts of Roxbury, Dorchester and South Boston.

She's been accused of setting up a kickback scheme with a family member who worked in her office. According to U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy, Fernandes Anderson gave that person an especially large bonus —$13,000 — and then had them hand her $7,000 in cash in a City Hall bathroom. Here's the full indictment.

Yes and no. Word about a federal investigation into Fernandes Anderson leaked earlier this week, but it wasn't yet clear what was being alleged. The Boston Globe was the first to report on the investigation, citing anonymous sources and confirmation that subpoenas were sent to individuals inside City Hall.

She's been in the spotlight in the past for her hiring and financial practices. In 2023, the State Ethics Commission said Fernandes Anderson violated the state's conflict of interest law by hiring her son and sister to jobs on her staff. She was fined $5,000 for the violation.

In a separate matter, the state's campaign finance watchdog ordered her to surrender $1,750 that she collected from individual donors above the maximum level allowed.

Mayor Michelle Wu on Friday called on Fernandes Anderson to resign.

“Like any member of the community, Councilor Fernandes Anderson has the right to a fair legal process," Wu said in a statement following the arrest. "But the serious nature of these charges undermine the public trust and will prevent her from effectively serving the city. I urge Councilor Fernandes Anderson to resign."

City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune also called for Fernandes Anderson to step aside, saying maintaining the public's trust was "paramount" for the council.

"Given the severity of the allegations brought against her, and the direct impact that they have on residents’ ability to see the Boston City Council as their faithful stewards, it is in the best interest of the body that she resign," she said. "This would allow the legal process to unfold without undue disruption to the body."