U.S. attorney is investigating Cape Cod state Rep. Flanagan, say Barnstable police

The U.S. attorney for Massachusetts is investigating Barnstable state Rep. Christopher Flanagan, according to Barnstable police.

The police department said in a press release that it “received a report that alleged potential criminal activity” in October 2024 related to Flanagan and his reelection campaign. The U.S. attorney's office "adopted the investigation" in December, the statement said. The release did not say what the potential criminal activity was.

The Democrat has represented the 1st Barnstable District since 2023.

WBUR has reached out to Flanagan for comment. The U.S. attorney's office told WBUR it would not confirm or deny the investigation.

Flanagan was previously investigated by the state’s Office of Campaign and Political Finance for creating a fictitious person on a mailer in his first campaign for representative, according to CAI.

The representative took responsibility in May 2024 for making up a person named "Jeanne Louise" on campaign material sent out in 2022. Flanagan initially told the campaign and finance office that he met Jeanne Louise, then admitted to making up the character to hide his financial role in creating the mailer.

As a result of the investigation, the campaign paid a $6,000 penalty in April 2024, and the Flanagan agreed to pay a personal penalty of $9,000 in May 2024.

With reporting by WBUR's Katie Cole and John Bender.