Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, who has made inflammatory and baseless claims about Jews and defended Hamas atrocities, is now facing an FBI investigation. While the nature of the probe remains unclear, her history of unethical behavior and incendiary rhetoric has thrust her into the spotlight once again. Fernandes Anderson, a Democrat representing Boston’s 7th District, sparked outrage in October 2023 when she introduced a City Council resolution describing the brutal Hamas attack on Israel—which killed over 1,200 civilians, including women and children—as a “military operation.” The resolution accused Israel of “apartheid” and “war crimes” and called for an immediate ceasefire, drawing fierce condemnation from colleagues. When questioned, Fernandes Anderson defended her resolution by invoking a bizarre and widely debunked conspiracy theory, claiming, “Arabs are Semites, so antisemitism applies totally to Arabs. And it applies to the original Jews, the Black people in Ethiopia.” Councilor Frank Baker, a Democrat representing Boston’s 3rd District, was among those who lambasted her remarks. “They dragged people out of their houses. They killed people that were in a concert. It’s not a ‘military operation,’” Baker said. “Those little girls at that concert who were raped and kidnapped—let’s return them, and then we’ll talk about a ceasefire.” The resolution ultimately failed, but Fernandes Anderson continued her anti-Israel rhetoric. In April 2024, she introduced another resolution accusing Israel of “genocide.” After significant backlash, much of the inflammatory language was removed, and the revised version passed with broader support, calling for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. The FBI investigation comes on the heels of several ethical violations by Fernandes Anderson. In 2023, she admitted to breaking state ethics rules by hiring family members for her City Council staff, for which she paid a civil penalty. She was also fined $1,750 for failing to disclose tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions. Beyond her political missteps, her personal life has also drawn scrutiny. Her husband, Tanzerious Anderson, is serving a life sentence without parole for first-degree murder. The two married while he was incarcerated. Despite the mounting controversies, Fernandes Anderson has attempted to portray herself as a champion for her district, which includes Roxbury and parts of the South End and Dorchester. In response to the FBI investigation, she issued a vague statement on social media, saying, “My job is to show up and to fight for you. I will continue to do just that; the people’s work.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)