Massachusetts Dem Who Plundered Campaign Funds to Gamble Wants His Pension Back
Posted on: April 9, 2026, 12:03h.
Last updated on: April 9, 2026, 12:03h.
- Former lawmaker seeks pension reinstatement after federal fraud conviction
- Misused campaign funds tied to gambling, loans, and false taxes
- Court weighs whether crimes were personal or public misconduct
A former Massachusetts lawmaker whose career unraveled amid a federal fraud conviction is now asking a court to restore a pension worth more than $800K, The Boston Globe reports.
David Nangle, 65, a Democrat who represented Lowell in the state legislature for more than two decades, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison in September 2021 after pleading guilty to charges including wire fraud, bank fraud, and filing false tax returns.
Prosecutors said he diverted more than $70K from his campaign account to cover gambling losses and personal expenses, such as golf club membership, rental cars to drive to casinos, and flowers for his girlfriend.
Although he earned over $100K annually, Nangle struggled with cash flow because of his heavy gambling across multiple casinos in Connecticut and New Hampshire, as well as venues in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In addition, he placed thousands of bets on online gaming platforms.
Prosecutors also alleged he misled a bank to obtain roughly $300K in loans and filed false tax returns over several years.
Political Career Ruined
Nangle had been a member of the Massachusetts legislature since 1999 and previously held the role of chair of the State House Ethics Committee. His prison sentence effectively ended his political career. It also cost him his tax-payer-funded pension, which he wants back.
Under Massachusetts law, public employees can lose their pensions if convicted of crimes related to their official duties, and so the case hinges on whether Nangle’s actions were connected to his role as an elected official.
In an appeal filed to the Massachusetts Superior Court last week, Nangle argues that his conviction was “personal in nature” and unrelated to his role as a public figure. He also claims the loss of his pension will leave him “destitute.”
Road to Redemption
Those claims were rejected by a lower court in January when Lowell District Judge Pacinco DeCapua said that Nangle had betrayed public trust, adding that it was “only because he had been a member of the House of Representatives at the relevant time that he was in a position to illegally withdraw funds from his campaign account.”
DeCapua also challenged Nangle’s claim of destitution, noting that he currently has three jobs. These include working for an anti-gambling advocacy group and mentoring recovering addicts.
The judge commended this work, saying Nangle was on “a road of redemption” – however, it remained that he had “dishonored his title as a State Representative.”
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