Mass. State Rep Who Splurged on Psychics Banned from Gambling After Fraud Indictment

• Flanagan accused of siphoning $36K from Cape Cod nonprofit
• Judge imposes gambling and credit restrictions pending trial
• Ethics probe may follow resolution of federal fraud charges
  

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 A Massachusetts state representative arrested on five counts of fraud has been banned from gambling by a federal judge in Boston.

Rep. Christopher Flanagan, a Democrat from Dennis, Mass., was indicted on wire fraud and falsifying records charges in April. Prosecutors allege he siphoned $36K from a Cape Cod nonprofit trade association, where he served as executive officer between late 2021 and early 2023.

The lawmaker is alleged to have blown much of the stolen funds on “personal psychic services,” along with other personal expenses like mortgage bills, credit card debt, campaign costs, clothing, and home appliances, according to prosecutors.

Court documents do not state that Flanagan has a history of gambling. The betting freeze was part of broad financial restrictions designed to prevent any further potential misuse of funds. These also included a ban on accruing credit‐card debt over $5K and opening any new credit lines over that threshold without court approval.

‘Appalling Breach’

Prosecutors allege Flanagan attempted to conceal his alleged embezzlement from the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Cape Cod (HBRACC), which represents stakeholders in the local residential construction industry, by accessing its bookkeeping system under a colleague’s credentials.

He then backdated transactions, assigned false expense codes, and submitted falsified expense reports, according to court filings.

Flanagan, who represents the First Barnstable District, encompassing Dennis, Yarmouth, and Brewster on Cape Cod, has pleaded not guilty, according to his attorney, Greg Henning.

Henning also told reporters that conditions barring gambling and credit card debt had been included in Flanagan’s release terms from the outset but were only recently formalized in filings by prosecutors.

Resignation Calls

Flanagan earns a taxpayer‑funded salary of just over $82K a year, plus additional compensation from committee assignments, state payroll records show.

House Speaker Ronald Mariano has refrained from demanding resignation but said the chamber will keep a close eye on the case and consider launching an ethics probe depending on its outcome.