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The Cape Cod lawmaker who misled campaign finance regulators has resigned from the nonprofit trade association that he has led since 2019.
First-term state Rep. Chris Flanagan last week stepped down from his job as executive officer of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Cape Cod, the group said in a press release.
The release, which did not delve into details behind the move, said his resignation is “effective immediately.” The release, sent to board members, was dated May 10.
April Ducott, president of the nonprofit’s board of directors, did not respond to requests for comment. The nine other members of the board also did not return phone calls seeking comment, or they declined to speak with a reporter. Flanagan did not respond to requests for a comment.
Flanagan was hit last month with fines for campaign finance violations tied to his 2022 election after regulators with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance found he lied to them about a mailer that claimed to be from “Conservatives for Dennis.”
Flanagan, who represents Dennis, Yarmouth, and Brewster, won the seat by beating out a Republican and a third party candidate. The seat had previously been held by Republican Rep. Tim Whelan.
Regulators said Flanagan “delayed and obstructed” their investigation to the 2022 election, pretending that a woman named “Jeanne Louise” was behind the mailer. Flanagan later admitted that he had fabricated her existence.
After CommonWealth Beacon’s report on a letter from the Office of Campaign and Political Finance laying out his role behind the mailer and his evasiveness as they questioned him about it, Flanagan issued a statement on Facebook saying he accepts responsibility.
“Oversight of the campaign is my responsibility,” he wrote. “It is important for me to share with you how truly sorry I am that this occurred and have taken steps to ensure that it never happens again. In the spirit of good governance, I agree with OCPF that the corrective measures they had me undergo to resolve the matter are in the best interest of the public.”
Flanagan is the only candidate to have qualified for the ballot, though GOP leaders are said to be seeking candidates to mount a write-in campaign and run against him this fall.
The Centerville-based homebuilders association announced Flanagan’s hiring in 2019, pointing to his time working in the US Senate and at the State Department for John Kerry.
According to a statement of financial interest on file with the State Ethics Commission, Flanagan owns two homes and earned a five-figure salary at the nonprofit. He also reported income from a real estate management entity. According to state payroll records, he was paid $97,500 as a state lawmaker last year.
This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
