NOTES BETWEEN PRINTED EDITIONS
BARNSTABLE/BOSTON BROADSIDE

Cape Cod Democrat State Representative Flanagan Investigated for Felony Larceny

by Kristen Brissette
Barnstable Broadside

YARMOUTH, Mass., NOV. 20, 2024 –  Democrat State Representative Christopher Flanagan is being investigated on an alleged charge of Larceny over $1,200.00 which is a felony charge.  This alleged charge is outlined in a police report obtained from the Yarmouth Police Department.

Flanagan, who represents the 1^st Barnstable district, was employed as CEO of  Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Cape Cod until he left that position on May 8, 2024.

In an extremely heavily redacted police report, Flanagan is the subject of an incident that was reported to the Yarmouth Police Department on September 20, 2024.  According to the police report, Flanagan is being investigated on an alleged larceny charge of over $1,200.00 266/30A.  Chapter 266 Section 30A of the Massachusetts General Laws reads Shoplifting; penalty; arrest without warrant.

There are more charges listed on the police report which are blackened out; therefore, unable to read.  One line item listed is “$26,500.00 stolen,” but the details are blackened out of the report.

The narrative portion of the police report, which is also heavily redacted, reads that on September 20, 2024, an officer from the Yarmouth Police Department was dispatched to a location for a past fraud.  When the officer arrived at the location, a party brought him into a conference room.  Four people were in that room when the officer arrived.  The names of the four people are blackened out of the police report.  The report indicates that on a date prior to this meeting with the officer, there was a conversation with Flanagan regarding a secondary CD business savings account that Flanagan had access to.  The conversation was about the potential fraudulent use of this business account.  At that time, Flanagan was placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.

Activity in the business bank account revealed inconsistencies when Flanagan used the business account.  Flanagan wrote checks to himself, and there were several withdrawals totaling about $36,000.00.  Details from the police report have been blackened out.

The report reads that people whose names have been blackened out of the report, “met with Flanagan several times to speak about the misappropriated funds, but has not been able to get a reasonable answer from him.  At some point (blackened names) have resulted to communicating via email as phone calls have gone unanswered and still Flanagan has offered no possible …(blackened out details).  It appears Flanagan made charges for his personal credit card, then utilized (blackened account name) account to pay back his expenses.”

The end of the report reads, “Flanagan has not made any conservative effort to respond back to (blackened name).  Only one check of $9,500.00 in good faith for any discrepancies with the (blackened name).”

On April 19, 2024,  Flanagan violated election laws and was penalized by the Massachusetts Office of Campaign Political Finance (OCPF).

After the November 8, 2022 election, OCPF received a complaint regarding a campaign mailer that was sent out by “Conservatives for Dennis” to Dennis residents before the election.  No disclosure was filed with OCPF by any group with that name.  OCPF obtained a customer intake form for the “Conservatives for  Dennis” that listed the customer as Jeanne Louise.  After review, OCPF found that Flanagan created the “Jeanne Louise” alias to conceal his financial role in creating the mailer in support of his election.

OCPF continued to investigate Flanagan’s committee’s activities and found more fabrications including sub-vendor responses.  A review of the committee’s bank records revealed four excess check contributions.  As a result of the investigation, Flanagan and his committee were ordered to pay a penalty of $15,000.00.

On October 20, upon hearing rumors of a police investigation into embezzling from his business, Flanagan was contacted by the Broadside and asked about the police investigation.  During the conversation, Flanagan said, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”  When asked if he would like the opportunity to include a comment in an article that would be written about his investigation, Flanagan was silent and ended the call.

After the phone conversation with Flanagan, a police report was requested from Yarmouth Police Department.  The request was denied.  After a consultation with of one of the Broadside’s attorneys, an appeal to the State Supervisor of Records was filed.  The State Supervisor of Records demanded Yarmouth release the police report to the Broadside within ten business days.  Yarmouth provided the report at the end of the tenth day.

NOTE: The Yarmouth Police Department release noted in part: “Enclosed is a digital copy of the report involving Christopher Flanagan which was filed
with the Yarmouth Police Department on September 20, 2024. Following direct correspondence with the Barnstable Police Department regarding the case, the department maintains its stance citing G.L. c. 4, s 7, Twenty-sixth, exemption F, wherein the “disclosure of certain investigatory materials could detract from effective law enforcement to such a degree as operating in derogation, and not in support, of the public interest,” this report contains redactions.

In utilizing this exemption, the intent “would be the avoidance of premature disclosure of the Commonwealth’s case prior to trial, the prevention of the disclosure of confidential investigative techniques, procedures, or sources of information, the encouragement of individual citizens to come forward and speak freely with police concerning the matters under investigation,and the creation of initiative that police officers might be completely candid in recording their
observations, hypotheses and interim conclusions.”