Rep’s indictment marks new chapter of legislators caught in legal tangles

More than 1,700 Lawrence voters and almost 3,000 in Methuen have already cast their primary ballots. What those early turnout stats don’t capture is how many of those voters are constituents of Rep. Francisco Paulino who picked him for a third term and how many might now be having second thoughts. 

The Methuen Democrat pleaded not guilty in federal court Wednesday afternoon, hours after his arrest for alleged pandemic benefits fraud. Paulino’s 11-count indictment landed less than two weeks after the government brought a separate set of COVID loan fraud charges against Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña, and six days before the state primary. 

Paulino faces a challenge from Lawrence City Councilor Celina Reyes, a family child care provider who’s said she wants to be a voice for working families at the State House. She's running from Paulino's left, with endorsements from Progressive Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Working Families Party and Reproductive Equity Now.

In a Legislature that sees relatively little turnover each election, Paulino’s 16th Essex House seat stands out for having changed hands multiple times over the past decade. 

The history: voters picked Marcos Devers for the seat in a 2010 special election called after William Lantigua stepped down. Lantigua had initially sought to serve as both state rep and Lawrence mayor. Six years later, Juana Matias — now the state’s housing secretary — knocked off Devers in a primary, representing the district for one term before opting to run for Congress instead. Devers defeated Lantigua to reclaim the seat in 2018 and went on to lose to Paulino in 2022. 

Though House Speaker Ron Mariano called the charges against Paulino "extremely concerning" and said they undermine trust in elected officials, it doesn't mean his arrest will directly cost him his office. Mariano said once the legal process wraps up, the House will "take appropriate action if necessary to ensure accountability."

But voters could take action on their own before then. Lowell Democrat Dave Nangle was facing more than two dozen federal fraud charges — he later pleaded guilty to misusing campaign funds to pay for his gambling addiction and personal expenses — when he lost his House seat to Vanna Howard, now a state senator, in the 2020 primary. 

That same year, now-Sen. John Cronin toppled incumbent Dean Tran in the general election. Tran, a Fitchburg Republican, hadn't been formally charged with anything at the time but the Senate Ethics Committee had found earlier in the year that his office staff was improperly engaged in campaign work on the clock. Tran would later be sentenced to prison time on charges including the fraudulent collection of COVID unemployment benefits.

As for the other current House member under federal indictment? Rep. Chris Flanagan pleaded not guilty last year to stealing money from his pre-election employer to pay for personal and campaign expenses. He’s leaving Beacon Hill on his own terms and not running for reelection. 

What’s your prediction for how the Lawrence and Methuen House race turns out? Know of any other pre-primary surprises landing in the next few days? Tell me what you’re hearing: [email protected]

9:00 | U.S. Rep. McGovern continues to visit farms in the northern and eastern parts of his Second Congressional District to discuss issues facing farmers | Sholan Farms in Leominster (9 a.m.), Valley View Farm in Templeton (10:30 a.m.), Red Apple Farm in Phillipston (11:45 a.m.), The Brewery at Four Star Farms in Northfield (1:15 p.m.)

10:00 | Mass. Cultural Council holds a remote business meeting, at which staff present the fiscal 2027 spending plan for the board's approval. An update on the council's search for a new executive director is also on the agenda | Agenda | Livestream

10:00 | Boston officials hold a press conference on move-in preparations ahead of thousand of college students descending on the city | 212 Hemenway St., Fenway |

10:00 | U.S. Rep. Neal joins Roofers and Slaters Local No. 248 to celebrate $5.8 million in the American Rescue Plan Act that saved the union's pension plan from insolvency | 345 Northampton St., Holyoke

10:30 | Secretary of State Galvin holds a media availability ahead of the Sept. 1 state primaries | State Library, 3rd floor of the State House

11:00 | House meets in an informal session | House Chamber

11:00 | Senate meets in an informal session | Senate Chamber

11:00 | Senate President Spilka gives keynote remarks at the grand opening and ribbon cutting of T Market | Natick Mall, 2nd floor, 1245 Worcester St., Natick

6:00 | Republican gubernatorial hopeful Brian Shortsleeve and lieutenant governor candidate Shawn Oliver hold a campaign rally | Nuovo Restaurant, 92 Shrewsbury St., Worcester

6:00 | Northampton and community partners hold a candlelight vigil to commemorate International Overdose Awareness Day | Forbes Library, 20 West St., Northampton 

7:00 | Sen. Michael Rush faces off against primary challenger Persis Yu in the first public forum where the candidates have appeared before voters side-by-side in the race for the Norfolk & Suffolk Senate seat. Congressional candidate Patrick Roath will also attend the event hosted by the Dedham & Westwood Democratic Town Committees, according to their Facebook page | Dedham Middle School, 70 Whiting Ave., Dedham

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LAWSUIT NO. 1: Four shops are suing state health officials over the Healey administration's emergency order to temporarily block the sale of kratom products, saying it will harm their businesses and reputations. The order is set to take effect Friday. | State House News Service (gift link)

LAWSUIT NO. 2: Tech giant Meta will pay a total of $17 billion to 47 states, including Massachusetts, and set new limits on youth use of Instagram and Facebook to settle a landmark lawsuit over its design features. Attorney General Andrea Campbell urged lawmakers negotiating a social media bill to go further than the settlement in their new rules. | CommonWealth Beacon

LAWSUIT NO. 3: Former MassGOP chair Jennifer Nassour filed suit against Republican candidate for governor Brian Shortsleeve. Nassour, the finance co-chair for gubernatorial hopeful Mike Minogue, alleges Shortsleeve's team secretly recorded her remarks during a February caucus, while Shortsleeve's campaign knocked the lawsuit as a last-minute stunt. | Eagle-Tribune

AND THE INDICTMENT: It’s not clear at this point if the federal pandemic relief fraud case against Rep. Francisco Paulino is directly related to the one against Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña, but U.S. Attorney Leah Foley says the two arrests are not part of an enforcement effort targeting the Merrimack Valley specifically. | Boston Globe

SCHOOL SUPPLIES: A new report from state Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro says Boston Public Schools wasted $857,000 in public funds by cutting corners in a difficult and disorganized contracting process. The school department says it will pause certain payments for 10 days, as Shapiro suggested, and develop a plan to fully implement the recommendations. | Boston Herald

THIRTY MINUTES IN CHICOPEE: In their sole 30-minute debate, Congressman Richard Neal and Democratic primary challenger Jeromie Whalen sparred over healthcare and campaign finance. Neal touted his record while first-time candidate Whalen called for a move away from the status quo. | The Republican

FLOCK TALK: The New Bedford City Council is asking the police department to cover or take down the city's 20 Flock surveillances cameras until new regulations are in place around their use. New Bedford police suspended use of the cameras after an officer was accused of using them to track her former romantic partner. | CAI

CLERK CLASH: The scheduling of a Brookline Select Board meeting on primary day is a source of conflict among local officials. Town clerk Ben Kaufman charges it amounts to voter suppression, while town administrator Charles Carey says it's the best choice of bad options. | Brookline.News

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